The government has decided to change the operating hours for freight and waste handling vehicles in the Greater Male' Region. The change will be implemented from August 1 as part of the newly launched Male' Fahi Programme, which aims to address the issue of vehicle congestion in Male' City.
Currently, the lack of specific hours for transporting goods causes road closures during school and office hours. To resolve the issue, the government has decided to set specific hours for transporting goods using larger vehicles. As such, freight will now be moved between 2000hrs and 0500hrs using vehicles of a certain size, a measure expected to significantly reduce road congestion. The initiative will be overseen by the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade.
Additionally, large vehicles from the Waste Management Corporation Limited (WAMCO) collecting waste after sunset contribute to increased road congestion. Therefore, waste collection regulations will be changed to operate between 2200hrs and 0500hrs nightly. The initiative will be supervised by the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment, and Energy.
The government said that projects will commence under the Male' Fahi Programme and are scheduled to be fully implemented within the next six months. The government also said that it is making numerous changes to alleviate congestion on Male' streets and has requested the cooperation of relevant agencies and the public in these efforts.