MTCC taxi line vehicles fail to meet regulatory standards

MTCC's taxi fleet has been found to be in violation of the standards mandated by the national regulations.

The Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) launched the service on Thursday with a fleet of 150 cars.

According to the taxi regulations, vehicles licensed to operate as car taxis must fulfill specific requirements to provide the service. Specifically, Schedule 1 of the regulations mandates that a taxi sign must be installed on the vehicle in a manner that is clearly visible from the front and capable of being illuminated.

Regulations mandate that taxi windows must remain clear enough for a person standing on the roadside to see the passengers inside the vehicle. Furthermore, taxis are required to be equipped with dash cameras that must record continuously throughout the duration of service. These recordings must be retained for a minimum of seven days.

Furthermore, the requirements specify that the vehicle must be equipped with at least four doors to allow access to both front and rear seats, and feature a spacious trunk. Additionally, the authorized taxi sticker, as prescribed in Schedule 2, must be prominently displayed on the vehicle's windshield.

However, MTCC's taxis are not equipped with standard taxi signs. Additionally, some of the vehicles in the fleet are two-door models.

MTCC has announced that although taxi services commenced on Thursday, bookings can currently only be made via their dedicated hotline. Despite the 1655 hotline being officially launched on Thursday night, the line remained unreachable as of Friday morning.