A new Land Transport Act has been drafted and submitted to parliament.
The bill was submitted by Kurendhoo MP Mohamed Shamin Habeeb. The first reading of the bill was held today.
The bill gives the Transport Ministry the power to issue permits to Maldivians to drive vehicles in other countries.
According to the bill, all Maldivian license holders will be able to drive vehicles in other countries after obtaining an international driving permit.
Similarly, a foreign national can drive in the Maldives without obtaining an additional license. But if the person resides in the Maldives for more than 90 days, they must obtain a Maldivian license.
The bill requires the ministry to make public a list of countries that accept licenses from Maldives.
The bill also provides for the introduction of a license demerit system, where points can be deducted from the license. This will be enforced by the police.
The demerit system will come into use within two years of the bill becoming law.
After the introduction of the demerit system:
- The demerit point will be recorded on the license and the license holder will be notified immediately
- The total demerit points recorded on the license and the reasons for the points recorded should be easily identifiable
- If the license is revoked due to increased demerit points, the state agencies should be notified
- Design and implement driver education programs to raise awareness about safe driving
If a person reaches the demerit point limit, their license will be withheld. They will have to pass a driver education program run by the ministry to get the license back. The license can also be revoked for a specified period.
If traffic violation fines reach over MVR 5000, license can be withheld or revoked.
The bill empowers the ministry to determine the maximum number of vehicles that can be registered and driven in islands, cities and industrial areas.
