The opposition is seeking to summon senior officials from Maldives Police Service and the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) to the Parliament over lack of adequate legal action against those found negligent amid an increase in road accidents in the Maldives.
In a letter sent to Parliament Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla last Saturday, MDP’s North Galolhu MP Mohamed Ibrahim (Kudoo) voiced concern over the lack of charges filed against individuals found negligent in accidents. He also raised the issue of such individuals being rearrested in similar cases after having been previously released.
He requested to summon senior officials from Police and PGO to identify the obstacles faced by the PGO in taking adequate action against such individuals and to inquire what assistance the Parliament can provide in this trajectory.
Kudoo also submitted several questions requesting written responses from the Police and Malé City Council regarding the measures being taken to ensure the safety and security of roads in Malé amid the increasing number of accidents. They include:
Strategies to reduce accidents and resolve the issue
Obstacles in implementing solutions
Whether there has been a failure in implementing solutions
Whether there is technical expertise and capacity to manage traffic and oversee road safety
Data management
Financial obstacles related to enforcement
Accidents across the Maldives, especially in the greater Male’ area, remain a huge public concern. The past 48 hours alone saw multiple dangerous accidents, with one of them resulting in a fatality as well.
In this regard, 17-year-old Yoosuf Alsan Mohamed, the son of musicians Mohamed Abdul Ghani (Theyrava) and Mariyam Ashfa, died in Sunday night’s accident, which took place near the Maafannu Bus Terminal and involved a speeding motorcycle that hit a jogger using the zebra crossing before crashing into a pickup.
Another accident occurred on Monday night involving a collision between a motorbike and a van on the Sinamalé bridge highway.
According to statistics released by the Police, a total of 1,101 accidents were reported in Malé City and on the Sinamalé Bridge and highway during the first six months of this year. Of these, 61 accidents resulted in serious injuries. Between 150 and 200 accidents were reported each month.