Momentum pitches shared rides now, driverless taxis by 2040

The long-term solution to Malta’s traffic woes is a fleet of driverless vehicles that would lead to a drastic reduction in personal cars by 2040, according to a pledge by Momentum. 

Elaborating on its transport proposals on Thursday after launching its manifesto last week, the party said the country’s transport system was “at breaking point”, with over 447,000 licensed vehicles on the road and an annual congestion cost of €1.13 billion annually. 

The party is proposing an €842 million “holistic” solution that it says could be completed immediately. It contrasted the plan with those of the PN and Labour, claiming its investment would be 72 per cent cheaper than both. 

The backbone of the party’s strategy is what it calls the Subsidised Shared Cab Initiative (SSCI), a system that builds directly on existing infrastructure to provide a viable alternative to private car ownership.  

“Using AI-driven algorithms, the systems group commuters heading in the same direction into a single vehicle. Because the apps, fleets, and public aptitude for using cabs already exist, the SSCI can be launched almost instantly with zero new construction,” the party said. 

Momentum candidate and general secretary Mark Camilleri Gambin said the party's plan was in stark contrast to “speculative, multi-billion Euro infrastructure projects that may never materialise.”  

“Our plan makes use of the assets we already have and reclaims land, time, and clean air to the public immediately. By securing an affordable, consistent pricing model through a provision of €234 million in annual fare subsidies, we are ensuring this works for the commuter,” he said. 

If elected, the party would implement its plan over three phases. 

Momentum presenting its transport plans. Photo: Momentum

In the first phase, which would be implemented by 2028, the government would partner with existing cab operators, whose apps would be upgraded to offer shared rides.  

Youths aged 15 to 24 and elderly people aged 65 and over would pay a €2 subsidised fare per trip. Other users would split the standard fare between them.  

In the second phase between 2028 and 2033, 2,000 electric 12-passenger minivans would be introduced per year, with the aim of shifting a large share of private car users to shared transport, ultimately reducing Malta’s car fleet to around 200,000 by 2033, roughly 2005 levels.  

Finally, the shared fleet would gradually be replaced with autonomous vehicles, resulting in “lower emissions, lower costs, safer driving and more reliable service.” 

The party would also allocate €150 million to significantly boost the bus fleet, adding 300 new buses of varying capacity to introduce high-frequency direct routes during rush hour.  

A further €100 million would be dedicated to ensuring pavements are wide enough, clear, safe and lead directly to transport hubs. 

The party said the plans were the brainchild of engineer and hydrologist Marco Cremona. The party noted that Cremona was an award-winning pioneer in water and green energy technologies, and served on the national Sustainable Development Committee.

Driverless taxis are not a novel concept. Some cities in the US, such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas and Houston, already have fully driverless commercial taxis on the roads. China reportedly has the largest scale of autonomous ride-hailing services in the world, with millions of trips logged. In Europe pilot programmes and trials are underway.