Under the newly enacted Land Transport Act, aimed at ensuring road safety in the Maldives, stringent penalties and substantial fines have been established for reckless driving, traffic violations, and illegal parking. Specifically, driving negligently in a manner that causes bodily harm may result in severe fines, criminal prosecution, and the revocation of the operator’s driving license.
Furthermore, graduated fines that increase with repeated offenses have been mandated for driving without a valid license, operating unregistered vehicles, speeding, disregarding traffic signals, and unauthorized parking. The legal framework also introduces a demerit point system where points are deducted from the offender’s license, potentially requiring them to undergo mandatory retraining.
Additionally, the police are authorized to immobilize or ‘boot’ vehicles if the accumulated parking fines exceed MVR 5,000. In instances where the identity of the driver cannot be determined at the time of the violation, the legal responsibility and liability shall rest with the registered owner of the vehicle.
