Maldives Government Plans AI-Powered Smart Traffic System for Malé

The Maldives government has announced plans to establish a digital traffic monitoring system powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to address the chronic traffic congestion in Malé. Finance Minister Hassan Zareer, while presenting the budget statement in the People’s Majlis, revealed that the development of a “Smart Traffic Enforcement System” for the Malé area has been included in next year’s budget. Zareer stated that seeking technological assistance is essential to solve Malé’s traffic problems and that the system aims to digitize traffic management and make it more successful. The budget also includes funding for the “Greater Malé Transport Mobility Plan.” This initiative is part of the government’s “Maldives 2.0” policy, which also encompasses the establishment of a “National Sovereign Cloud Data Center” for secure state data storage and the introduction of a “Digital Identification System” or smart card system to modernize government services, increase transparency, and prevent corruption. However, the implementation of the “Maldives 2.0” policy has been slow, with no significant changes this year following last year’s launch. Obstacles to the traffic plan include a lack of inter-departmental coordination, the absence of CCTV views, and insufficient resources to enforce the law. Many have argued that the traffic issue cannot be resolved unless vehicle entry into Malé is stopped or reduced given the current population situation.