"Gov’t is deliberately causing difficulties for speedboats; officers use foul language; ropes are placed to obstruct”

State authorities appear to be actively sabotaging speedboat operations in the capital, where maritime workers face deliberate hindrances, hostile duty officers are slinging derogatory insults, and actual ropes stretched across water channels to block their passage.

Illusion of public convenience

Government officials proudly touted the redevelopment of Boduthakurufaanu Magu, boasting about a new parking area built to accommodate 500 motorcycles right by Malé Jetties 5 and 6. Officials promised this grand infrastructure project would offer immense convenience to commuters, but the reality on the water tells a completely different story.

For speedboat captains and their crews, this land-focused upgrade has delivered nothing short of staggering hardship and constant logistical roadblocks in their daily working lives.

Lagoon clogged by inactive state fleet

In detailed complaints shared with RaajjeTV, local sea captains revealed that the surrounding lagoon has essentially been turned into a parking lot for official assets.

Various state-owned vessels and idle Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) boats sit permanently anchored in the basin, effectively locking commercial speedboats out of their designated zones.

To make matters worse, authorities have completely banned entry and exit through the channel sitting directly in front of the President's Office, forcing all traffic to squeeze through the next available passage, an alternative that has turned into a massive, daily struggle.

High traffic and high hazards

Jetties 5 and 6 are notoriously chaotic hubs carrying heavy volumes of maritime traffic. Bringing vessels in from various outer islands to dock and safely disembark passengers has turned into a logistical nightmare, largely due to the sheer number of government ships taking up space.

Navigating the restricted, alternative channel is hard enough in calm weather, but when rough seas and heavy gusts roll in, the stretch of water near the new motorcycle parking lot shrinks to dangerous proportions.

Shattered propellers and salary cuts

Out in the narrow channel, hidden peril lurks just beneath the surface. Submerged breakwater rocks line the exterior, and vessels trying to squeeze past regularly smash their propellers and gearboxes against the stone.

Fixing or replacing ruined marine gear comes at a crippling financial cost, an expense so severe that certain boat companies ruthlessly deduct the repair bills straight out of their workers' meager salaries.

Adding insult to injury, mariners point to a line stretched deliberately across the channel near the President's Office as a shameless act of intentional obstruction.

High jetties and narrow channels

The state may have squeezed the harbor layout to make room for landside parking under the guise of public utility, but the move has inflicted severe misery on everyone earning a living on the water.

The artificially narrowed harbor leaves zero margin for error, making it impossible for one vessel to safely pass another.

Speedboats collide with outer breakwater rocks while attempting entry, destroying expensive machinery and racking up massive losses.

While the layout might cater to landlubbers, it offers zero relief to mariners. Further, the newly built jetties were raised to an absurd height, creating an agonizing physical barrier for elderly commuters and passengers suffering from knee issues who struggle to step on or off the boats.

Hostile uniforms and deaf ears

Confined to an impossibly tight space, scores of speedboats are left maneuvering dangerously close to one another, making safe passage virtually impossible.

However, rather than offering support, on-duty Coast Guard and Marine Police officers frequently barrage the struggling captains with crude and offensive language.

Despite repeated attempts by the operators of Jetties 5 and 6 to raise these glaring hazards and official abuse with the proper authorities, the complaints continue to fall on deaf ears, leaving the maritime community without a single satisfactory answer.