President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has waived outstanding parking fines.
In recent years, waiving parking fines have been presidential pledges made around elections. President Solih's decision to waive parking fees comes while his primary rival candidate, the PPM-PNC's Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, made a similar promise to pardon existing fines if he comes to power.
The President's Office issued a statement explaining that this decision was made after considering various factors. Among these were the grievances of residents regarding the inadequate parking spaces in the city and the increasing number of fines issued for traffic violations.
"Additionally, with the significant economic impact of COVID-19 on the public, the non-payment of such fines is increasing. Both the president and the government recognize that this is happening, and the president acknowledges this challenge and has decided to provide relief to the people.," the statement said.
The current round of fine waivers specifically targets fines imposed for licensed drivers driving without the license on hand, driving while the license is lost, expired, or damaged, and driving a class of vehicle not covered by the license.
"The purpose of this relief is to reduce the repetition of such incidents by traffic violators. It will also increase people's awareness of traffic rules and other social issues," the statement said.
The President had previously committed to find a solution for youth who are unable to pay their fines for driving without a license during the main-ruling MDP's 2019 local council election campaign. To address the issue, the government introduced flexible payment options for traffic violations. In some instances, fines were waived upon completing a training program, depending on the nature of the violation. These training programs, conducted by the police, are typically held over no more than two weeks to one month.
