Mini bus services in Male’

Maldives is a small island nation with most islands not so well equipped to transport you from point A to point B without difficulty. Even though transportation may not be a major issue on smaller islands, getting to places in Male', the capital city, may be difficult. However, this difficulty is not due to the lack of modes of transportation, it is quite the opposite as Male' city is densely packed with motorcycles, cars, and pick-ups. It is the difficulty and cost - when it comes to getting places - that makes it a burden to travel within the city.

While many people have been dealing with these issues for years, they appear to have gotten worse recently, necessitating the need for more viable options. Thankfully, many of these issues may be coming to an end, as the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) has already begun bus services connecting Male' and Hulhumale', and has recently announced mini bus services within Male' city, which will begin at the end of July 2022.

The desperate need for better public transportation

Male' was once like many other Maldives’ islands before being developed into a city. People used to be able to get around by walking or riding their bicycles. However, with development came more vehicles, the need for higher tariffs, and the requirement to own a vehicle in order to get around.

While owning a vehicle may appear to be the best way to get around in the densely packed city, it is not the most economically viable option for the average Maldivian citizen as tariff rates for some vehicles exceed 200 percent. In addition to the tariff, if one takes a loan to acquire a vehicle they would also be faced with paying off a considerable sum with added interest. However, when faced with the second option of having to hail cabs or walk everywhere this might seem like the wiser choice as cab prices have increased in Male’ city.

To those who have never visited Male’ city, it might seem foolish to think that one would even need to get on a bike or in a car to get places as many imagine a small stroll will take you anywhere in Male’. While the walking distance might not be too bad, it does not take long to notice that Male’ is not a very pedestrian-friendly city. With most roads developed for driving rather than walking, it can be quite unsafe to walk down some of the narrower streets of Male’ unless you are familiar with them. In most cases, it can force you to opt for a taxi.

However, even this option comes with its difficulties as after a lot of back and forth throughout this year regarding setting the taxi prices higher, the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine causing the increase in the fuel prices has increased the cost of taxis by quite a bit. With a taxi ride from Hulhumale' phase II to Male' now costing MVR 100, the need for improved public transportation is more apparent than ever.

Will the mini bus service fix our issues?

With MTCC bringing in several minibuses to begin bus service within Male', it appears that a good public transportation link is finally being implemented in the Maldives. With two shipments of mini buses arriving, the most recent shipment containing 36 mini buses, we can only assume that it will serve the vast majority of the public who have been eagerly awaiting the start of this service.

While introducing this service may finally end the many complaints about transportation within Male', it may also resolve a slew of other issues. As one of the major issues on Male' city's roads is congestion caused by heavy traffic and an excess of motor vehicles, hopefully with the implementation of better public transportation, people will begin to prefer public transportation over purchasing vehicles or paying high taxi fares.

This is not a far-fetched idea, as the introduction of the bus between Male' and Hulhumale' proved to be a huge success, with most people preferring it over taking a taxi.