Why cant we have a simple public transportation system in Male ??

Maldives is currently ill prepared to provide adequate transportation choices for our population especially in Male. Alternatives to driving are sparse, particularly in Male and some other Islands. Nation addresses this issue as a significant social and economic ramifications.

The reason why government cannot establish a public transportation in Male city is because the roads are too narrow and the number of vehicles.

But why ? I have been thinking about this good reason from the government for a very long time and it’s something I really cannot agree on.

Of cause other Asian countries like India, Sri lanka and Malaysia uses thousands of huge busses for public transportation which cannot be handled in a small city like male.

But why can’t we look for an alternative?

Like each problem have a solution, and why the authorities of Maldives say that Public transportation cannot be established in Male city.

Is this something that really doesn’t have any solution or an alternative?
Or Taxi’s are the only solution we have in here.

A normal person in Male who uses a taxi just once a day to go and come back from office spends over 60 USD (USD 03.11 x 20 normal working days) and the average salary is less than 500USD. Which means the person spends 30%of the salary only for transportation. This amount is even more than an average Australian spends for a car ownership in Australia.

Looking in to the public transportation of some neighboring countries:
Philippines: Jeepneys are the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. Jeepneys are a kind of jeeps which is usually same width as a normal car but almost one and half length of a car.


(A picture of a Jeepney in Philippines)

This is one of the most famous mode of public transportation which servers thousands and thousands of people very day.

This kind of Jeepney can accommodate more than 12 people at a time and this can perfectly fit to the streets of male.

So when it comes to public transportation system, why always heavy buses come to our authorities mind.

Maldives the first country going carbon neutral in the world and cant we reduce the freaking number of expensive taxi’s in the streets of male by introducing even some simple jeepneys for public transportation.

Is it our powerful officials who own the most number of Taxi’s in male? Or what is the real reason behind this stupid problem?