MTCC buses provide free rides to 300,000 monthly in Greater Male' region

The number of people travelling free of charge on MTCC's public bus service in the Greater Male' region has reached 300,000 a month, according to statistics released by the Statistics Department based on data provided by MTCC.

Figures compiled between 2025 and 2026 show that more than 300,000 people have recently been using the bus service for free each month, a figure comparable to, and in some months exceeding, the number of ticketed passengers on the Male'-Hulhumale' route, the busiest in the entire network.

Over the past year and a half, more than 200,000 people have travelled for free in most months, with the highest numbers recorded in recent months of this year, at times reaching between 280,000 and 320,000.

Free bus travel is provided to individuals aged 65 and above, children, those requiring special assistance, and students travelling in school uniform. The figures indicate a growing reliance on the public transport system among these groups for daily travel.

Looking at the network as a whole, the highest number of ticketed passengers travel between Male' and Hulhumale', averaging between 240,000 and 330,000 people a month. The next busiest route, between Hulhumale' Phase 1 and Phase 2, sees between 44,000 and 88,000 passengers a month. Trips to Velana International Airport account for between 37,000 and 79,000 passengers, while travel within Male' itself ranges between 19,000 and 50,000. The lowest ridership is recorded on Vilimale's internal bus routes, at roughly 15,000 to 21,000 passengers a month.