Protesting taxi drivers demand Minister Ameen's resignation

Taxi drivers have taken to the streets again, demanding the immediate resignation of Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen, accusing him of lying about not directly consulting with taxi drivers regarding the introduction of the government's taxi line service.

The protest was held on Thursday night, near the minister’s residence, Maandhooge Dhekunuge in Mahchangoalhi ward of capital Malé City.

During the protest, taxi drivers called out the minister for turning a deaf ear to their concerns. They expressed disappointment that the government is infiltrating the taxi service without providing any assistance with the drivers' proposals.

The drivers stated that they had requested the minister to fully regulate the sector and introduce taxi meters. However, they claim these requests were ignored, and instead, the government is working to bring in 100 cars at a cost of 80 million, which they believe devalues taxi drivers and paves the way for corruption. The drivers expressed confusion about the government's motives.

The transport ministry has announced that the government’s new taxi line service will launch in the first week of July with a fleet of 100 vehicles. However, existing service providers have raised concerns, warning that the move could lead to substantial financial losses and severely affect their income.

Minister Ameen, noting that the government is not trying to infiltrate a specific business, stated that taxi service is an essential service for the public, and it is currently not being provided adequately.

Further, the minister said that they want to provide taxi services to the public at a good standard in the Maldives, following the principles used in other countries.