The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation has established procedures to allow the cancellation of vehicle registrations even if annual fees and fines are outstanding, effective from next year. The Ministry announced the new guidelines, applicable from next year, concerning the garage permit required for the registration process of vehicles with more than two wheels, and the cancellation of registration for land vehicles that are old, damaged, or intended for destruction.
In its announcement, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation highlighted that citizens have faced difficulties when cancelling the registration of engine-powered land vehicles that are old, damaged, or intended for destruction, and during the subsequent process of vehicle disposal. To alleviate these challenges, the Ministry has now decided that, effective January 1st of next year, vehicle registrations can be cancelled even if there are outstanding annual fees and fines associated with the vehicle. The Ministry further clarified that despite this decision, any annual fees and fines unpaid up to the point of vehicle registration cancellation will remain as financial obligations owed by the vehicle owner to the state.
Addressing the difficulties faced by citizens in obtaining the necessary garage permit during the registration process for land vehicles with more than two wheels, the Ministry of Transport stated its decision to implement changes starting January 1st of next year to ease these issues. Specifically, for vehicles registered before the garage requirement was enforced in 2009, and for vehicles registered without a valid garage permit even after the requirement, ownership transfers will be permitted within the vehicle’s current registration zone without requiring an additional garage document. Furthermore, for vehicles registered with a valid garage permit, ownership transfer will be allowed upon submission of a document from the garage owner confirming no objection to the vehicle being kept at the registered garage.
Moreover, the Ministry of Transport also announced that the vehicle garaging permits currently issued by the Malé City Council and HDC will no longer be required for the registration process of vehicles with more than two wheels. Following this decision, only two documents will be necessary for registration: a document confirming that the intended parking location is registered as a garage, and a document from the garage owner stating no objection to the vehicle being kept in that garage.
