Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) has begun to install shades at the bus stops in Male’ City.
The Raajje Transport Link (RTL) minibus service began on September 5. However, passengers currently have to wait at unshaded bus stops. In order to solve the issue, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Adam Azim said MTCC is fabricating shades for the bus stops at the Thilafushi dockyard and that installation will begin soon.
The minibus service has become a popular means of public transit, with over 100,000 passengers have used the service in the first two weeks. MTCC has also decided to allow passengers to use the service free of charge for another two weeks. After which passengers will be able to book tickets using the RTL web portal, with tickets priced at USD0.45. The amount is significantly cheaper than the taxi fare in Male’, which is USD1.95. However, school students, disabled persons, senior citizens, and children under three years of age will still be able to travel on the minibusses free of charge.
The bus routes have been established to make it easy for school students, office workers, and individuals travelling to hospitals to reach their destinations within 10 minutes from the farthest bus stops. The bus routes are interconnected to areas in Henveiru and Maafannu and each bus stop is a five-minute walk away from the other. MTCC is using 18 minibusses to make ten-minute stops at bus stops established on three routes, which are the Orchid route, Sosun route, and Ameenee route.