Ride-hailing platform Bolt said it will launch a Maltese language service on Tuesday, in an initiative that has drawn mixed reactions on social media. 

The move was announced on WhatsApp by an account billing itself as a news channel for the cab company and was soon shared to a Facebook group. 

According to the screenshot of the WhatsApp message, the service will be called Rikba ("ride") and is aimed at "addressing the needs of local residents."

While news of the impending launch did not feature on Bolt's official Facebook page at the time of publication, when contacted by Times of Malta a spokesperson for the company confirmed the service was being introduced. 

The service will allow Bolt customers to book a Maltese-speaking driver when booking a ride. 

A WhatsApp message posted to a channel claiming to be a news channel for the company.

The Facebook post with a screenshot of the WhatsApp message racked up almost 300 likes and more than 60 comments in the first hour, with many users praising the company for the move. 

Chris Calleja called the news "excellent" and the service a "good idea" but speculated passengers might be forced to pay more or wait longer for the service - a concern echoed by other users including Maryanne Thake. 

"What assurance do we have that requesting a Maltese driver will be as swift?" she asked.

"I am all for helping all that is Maltese but then a rapid service is not to be sniffed at. I have nothing but praise for all the bolt drivers be they Maltese or foreign".

Mark Lincoln Fenech and Miguel Bouvet also seemed to approve, commenting "well done", while other users posted emojis and words of support.

But not all comments were as supportive, with Bernard Schranz saying the move "implies discrimination" or suggested a "particular attitude" towards non-Maltese drivers. 

And his fears appeared to be well-founded, with one user posting a comment including the word "curry" seemingly in reference to Asian drivers.

Many third-country nationals who drive cabs and buses have been at the receiving end of racial and xenophobic slurs.

It is the second time in a month that the Maltese language in the transport sector has hit the headlines, with the country's new national carrier KM Malta Airlines announcing it was dropping the requirement for cabin crew to speak Maltese.

A spokesperson for the company said the move was in response to the changing demographic of its passengers, saying "more than 80% of customers flying on KM Malta Airlines will not be Maltese nationals".

The company later clarified it would ensure there would always be at least one Maltese speaker onboard each flight. 

Questions were sent to Bolt on Monday evening.