Hulhumale a developing City?

Hulhumale no doubt provides shelter to plenty of Maldivians. If not for Hulhumale perhaps Male’ would have been much and much more crowded. It can be said that Hulhumale does ease the pressure on Male’ the capital city of Maldives. But as a separate island, can it be defined as a developing city?

Supposing that the capital City Male is not 20 minutes away from Hulhumale, are the basic services available from Hulhumale?

Any one who wishes to take a passport photo too has to take the 20 minutes ride to Male’. I heard there is someone who visits houses and takes passport size photos in Hulhuame? Isn’t it great?

If you find yourself or any of your relatives seriously ill, would you prefer Hulhumale hospital to the 2 hospitals in Male’? Would it be safe? Are the services in Hulhumale hospital comparative to the services available from Male’ Hospitals?

Supposing you can afford to take your kids to Male schools, i.e. you have the means and finance as well, would you prefer Hulhuamle schools to that of Male’? But then again I guess one could never make a better choice regarding this issue. Cos even if the education is good in certain schools, the conduct of children in such schools becomes a bigger issue……….The international school which started recently in Hulhumale no doubt provides a glimpse of hope..But how many people can afford to send their kids to the international school?

How about one who wants to buy some office shirts, pants and shoes? It’s that 20 minutes ride he too has to take…….Its like that 20 minutes ride in the overcrowded ferry is the price people living in Hulhumale have to pay to the shelter provided for them.

The talk of a bridge between Male and Hulhumale is too much to hope for in the near future. People living in Hulhumale have to go to Male first to get in to the airport even, where as Hulhumale and the airport or Hulhule is connected by land...

At night the island looks haunted and isolated. Not much light…few people can be seen on the road….

Still people in Hulhumale shouldn’t they be thankful, to the shelter provided for them? People in faraway islands have to travel far more to get in to capital city than people of Hulhumale….Isn’t it?

Hence Hulhumale can it be defined as a shelter 20 minutes away from capital City with minimum services?

Hulhumle' ferry service - no room for improvement?

The complaint of people who travel between Hulhumale’ and Male’ is the inconvenience of the service and its arrangements. The service provider no doubt, is serving Maldives or Maldivians….May be there is no other party who can provide the service to the same limit either…..But does that mean, that the service is perfect?

Should not they listen to their customers or people who use their service?

There are no rules, no orders, no major arrangements, no priorities in the ferry terminal…A point worth noting is that there is exactly no difference between the person who purchases th ticket first and the person who purchases the ticket last.....Many a times its the person who comes last who goes in through the exit first...Cos if all the seats are full, he just goes and wait near the exit............

It’s the strong and it’s the people who do not mind mixing up with others who win in the struggle to get through the door first and fast….. It seems like chaos till you get seated in the ferry.

Can’t they implement a rule or arrangement so that there is some sort of order and smoothness in entering the ferry…..? All people are mixed up .Elderly people, kids, pregnant ladies, women, men etc etc…….

People of all sort use this service….But people who prefer some decency, or elderly people, people who are sick etc.. too cannot afford to be seated in the ferry terminal till the door opens, unless he or she does not mind if the ferry is missed or not…….The only option for everyone most of the time is to go and stay behind those who are near the exit…..Of course this is not all the time…..but many a times..

The complaint of most of the people I think is not the amount of time one has to spend on the sea but the lack of arrangements in the terminal...Ofcourse if the amount of time can be decreased many would be happy...But the complaints go beyond that..

The complaint goes on and on……..But is there anyone who cares!

How much assurance does one have that he can purchase a ticket say 15 mins before the ferry after a days work, and relax in the terminal a little and still get on the ferry with out any pressure…..?

In other countries people who travel to work or school have a choice, ie to take a taxi or bus etc etc…For people who live in Hulhumale, they have no choice, no options....but to go through this chaos.....

In spite of this due to the rise in price of oil, may be the price of ferry tickets will go up soon….But the service will it get better, or remain the same or get worse?