Male' City Council on Saturday spoke on the pressing concern of congestion in capital Male'.
Speaking at a press conference, Mayor of Male' City Shifa Mohamed said the council is considering closing off a large part of Male' city to vehicles, and converting it to pedestrians only roads in order to ease the congestion in the city.
Emphasizing the importance of a Land Use Plan for Male' city, Mayor Shifa said such a plan is necessary to avert city-wide disasters caused due to congestion. She revealed that the city council is working with the Planning Ministry to formulate such a plan, and said it would be publicized for public opinion as soon as the work is concluded.
Noting the lack of space for vehicles to navigate on the streets on Male', Mayor Shifa announced the council' decision to request the government to limit the number of vehicles being registered to Male' city. The council also intends to amend the current policies on driving and parking vehicles in the capital, said Shifa.
The mayor added that more parking spaces will be established in the near future to allow more space for pedestrians, in addition to the prohibition of parking on certain roads.
"While designing the city roads, we will make sure a large area is designated for pedestrian use only. We have to accept that it would not be possible to park wherever and however one pleases at any given time. We will make arrangements such that vehicles will need to be parked at designated parking zones, and the driver will have to continue on foot to their desired destinations" , Shifa said.
Mayor Shifa further revealed that the council has plans to ban vehicle parking on Majeedhee Magu in order to create more space for bus transport under their efforts to increase public transport in the city.
Noting the need for more employees to manage and maintain the city, Shifa acknowledged that the issues that are currently faced by the city can be resolved with sufficient resources and empowerment, and better policies.
Mayor Shifa Mohamed, Male' City Council.
