Transport Authority reaches compromise with taxi drivers

Officials from the Transport Authority met taxi and pickup drivers on Monday and reached a compromise over new regulations on fines for illegally parked vehicles.

Sun Online reported that the Transport Authority has decided that stickers would not be issued for vehicles parked in areas that does not inconvenience the public. However, stickers would be placed on vehicles parked in front of hospitals, schools, mosques and private residences.

Transport Authority Chairman Abdul Rasheed Nafiz reportedly told the taxi drivers that designating parking zones was the responsibility of the Male’ City Council.

On the taxi drivers’ complaint over insurance fees (MVR 1000), Nafiz said only parliament could change the amounts specified in law.

Taxi and pickup drivers went on strike and protested on Monday morning following the Transport Ministry’s decision to enforce the new regulations.

The taxi drivers noted that there were no parking zones in the capital for taxis and pickups.

“There is no room to park cars. If we park the car for breakfast, there will be a sticker. There will be a sticker for afternoon and evening, we will have to spend a lot of money,” a taxi driver involved in organising the protest told newspaper Haveeru.

According to the Transport Authority, stickers issued on illegally parked cars will carry a fine of MVR 250 (US$16) for the first, MVR 500 (US$32) for the second and MVR 750 (US$48) for each following sticker.

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