“Over 10,000 People Will be Impacted by Gov’t Decision to Launch Taxi Fleet”

Over 10,000 people will be affected negatively if the government launches their taxi fleet as planned, said taxi company Taviyani.

In a press release today, the company behind the widely used taxi application Avas Ride in the Maldives said the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation’s decision to go forward with the taxi fleet is a clear indicator that they have “set aside” the concerns of the taxi drivers. 

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Taviyani stated that the Ministry had previously denied any plans to launch a government taxi service. In its response to a Right to Information (RTI) request submitted by the company, the Ministry had stated that no such initiative was being considered. The RTI response was dated 11 December 2024.

Despite this, on February 12, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation signed an agreement with Maldives Transport and Construction Company (MTCC) to introduce an environmentally friendly taxi service. Taviyani highlighted that this directly contradicted the assurances the company had previously received from the Ministry, both in person and in writing. The company noted that the Ministry had earlier assured them that no taxi service would be launched without the necessary discussions or appropriate research.

Taviyani further stated that this decision would affect not only full-time taxi drivers and taxi centres but also others indirectly linked to the industry. This includes part-time drivers and individuals who rent out private cars as a source of secondary income. Related small businesses would also be impacted, he added.

The government’s plan to launch a state taxi service has been harshly criticised by the opposition party Maldives Democratic Party (MDP). They questioned the government’s involvement in a sector traditionally operated by private businesses and criticised the government for what he described as a lack of strategic planning. 

South Galolhu MP Meekail Ahmed Nasym has criticised the government’s decision to launch its own taxi service, arguing that the state should focus on regulation rather than competing with SMEs.

 “The government does not have to enter the spaces of small and medium enterprises and disrupt it. Government has to regulate it,” Meekail said during the MV+ Mashvaraa programme on X Spaces last Wednesday night, where the discussion centred on the Presidential Address.