The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation of the Maldives has announced that the latest update to the Road Vehicle Licensing Regulation prohibits the import of auto-rickshaws to the country.
The regulation, which was first established on July 15, 2012, has been revised to include road vehicle registration, but some types of motor vehicles used on islands are not covered by the license categories outlined in the regulation.
The current registration system does not define the B3, B4, C3, and C4 categories of vehicles described in the Road Vehicle Licensing Regulations, which poses challenges for registering buggies and pickups used on islands. The transport ministry has identified conflicts between the license and registration rules, which has led to contradictions in the registration system for three-wheeler buggy vehicles.
Since there is no separate category for three-wheeled buggies in the regulation, registering such vehicles currently used in resorts and islands is problematic. However, the ministry is committed to resolving this issue through the amendment of the regulation.
To register vehicles, the transport ministry currently relies on photographs to verify the type of vehicle. However, three-wheeled vehicles such as auto-rickshaws are not permitted to operate on any island in the country. The ministry has made it clear that it will not allow the registration of auto-rickshaws in the Maldives, and that such vehicles will not be permitted in the future.
