The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation has announced that four-wheeled vehicles can only be imported into the Maldives under a special permit, effective 13 July,
The Transport Ministry has amended the existing regulations on four-wheeler imports and has now implemented the changes.
Hammaadh Saleem, the Political Director of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, told PSM News that the Ministry previously issued import permit for vehicles. However, the issuance of the permit had been suspended for the past five years due to various reasons, he noted. However, permit issuance has now resumed with a new system that ensures that there is a dedicated garage for imported four-wheelers.
Hammaadh said that previously, the Ministry did not verify whether the vehicle could be parked in the designated garages when issuing permits. However, with the new change, the Ministry will inspect whether the designated location, such as a garage or private land, is suitable for parking the vehicle. The permit will only be issued after verification, he noted.
With this change, dedicated parking spaces road safety will be ensured, he added.
Hammaadh said that the permit will be issued to applicants within five working days if all the required documents and information are submitted correctly.
Hammaadh further clarified that the standard for registration is not limited to enclosed garages.
"What matters is that the parking space is on private land and not on public roads," he said.
The requirements for a garage permit was first introduced on 13 April 2013, with amendments to the Road Vehicle Registration Rules. The main objective of amending this regulation is to regulate vehicle imports more effective and minimise unregulated parking.
The four-wheeler import permit application can be submitted through the Ministry’ online portal. Application forms for this service are available for download on the Ministry’s website as well as at the Ministry’s reception desk.