Possible Solution to Parking Issues and Traffic Congestion in Greater Male' Region
Abstract: The Greater Male Region, (consist of Male, Hulhule, Hulhumale, Villingili, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi) is the most densely populated urban cluster in the Maldives. Capital City Male' is one of the most densely populated City in the world. Rapid growth in the number of registered vehicles, a historically narrow and grid locked street network in Male City and a chronic shortage of off-street parking have combined to produce severe daily congestion and widespread illegal roadside parking. Parking shortages and traffic congestion have become interconnected urban mobility challenges in the Greater Male Area of the Maldives. Rapid urbanization, high population density, increasing vehicle ownership, limited road space, inadequate parking capacity, inefficient use of public road space, and concentrated travel demand have placed substantial pressure on the existing transport system. The problem is particularly complex in Male, where opportunities for expanding the road network are physically constrained. Recent government initiatives recognize the urgency of the problem, in July 2026, the Greater Male Transport and Mobility Office (GMTMO) were established to coordinate long-term responses to congestion, parking infrastructure and modern mobility solutions. In August 2026, the Land Transport Bill was ratified, creating a new regulatory framework and designating Greater Male as a Registration and Traffic Management Controlled Zone. This article examines possible solutions to parking and congestion in Greater Male through an integrated approach combining multi story parking, demand management, intelligent parking systems, public transport improvement, park and ride facilities, walking and cycling infrastructure, enforcement, vehicle registration controls, freight management strategies and data driven traffic management (Soltani, Soghadi, Taghavifard, & Kashkooli, 2022). research indicates that vehicles searching for parking can generate additional circulation, congestion, emissions and safety risks. Therefore, simply constructing additional parking spaces may not be sufficient, and the parking supply must be integrated with policies that manage vehicle demand and encourage efficient modes of transportation, according to Wang & Fu, 2022, investigate the multimodal transport network's path design, planning, investment, and construction mode based on big data analytics. The article proposes a Greater Male Integrated Parking and Mobility Framework based on five pillars: Parking Management, Traffic Demand Management, Public Transport, Intelligent Transport Systems, and Institutional Governance. This research reviews the current state of the road and parking network, summarizes the major connectivity projects either completed or under construction (the Sinama le Bridge and the Thilamale Bridge / Greater Male Connectivity Project), and sets out a package of engineering and policy interventions multi-story parking buildings, overhead pedestrian bridges, ring-road and one-way circulation schemes, park-and-ride at the outer islands, smart parking technology, and demand management pricing that together form a realistic pathway to reducing congestion and reclaiming street space in Male. Urban parking policy literature (Shoup, 2005; Litman, 2021; Barter, 2010) and informed by comparative practice in Singapore, Japan, and the Netherlands, the study combines a historical review of Male's urban development with a structured 10-item questionnaire administered to residents, commuters, and public-sector stakeholders. Illustrative analysis indicates that illegal/double parking, narrow road reserves, rapid vehicle-ownership growth, and roadside industrial/workshop activity are perceived as the dominant contributors to congestion, with peak difficulty reported during the 8-10 a.m. and 4-8 p.m. periods. Four concrete interventions are proposed and illustrated: (1) an advanced smart parking-finder mobile application; (2) a residential block layout allocating dedicated multi-bay parking every two blocks; (3) relocation of vehicle workshops and industrial/loading activity to Thilafushi Industrial Zone; and (4) an overhead flyover at peak congestion junctions to separate through traffic from local traffic. The article concludes with policy recommendations for phased implementation by the Maldives Police Service, Male City Council, and national transport authorities.
Keywords: Greater Male Area, Parking management, traffic congestion, sustainable mobility, intelligent transport systems, vehicle management
How to Cite?: Ibrahim Hussain Didi, "Possible Solution to Parking Issues and Traffic Congestion in Greater Male' Region", Volume 15 Issue 11, November 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 358-368, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR261026224812, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR261026224812