Fast-track foreign driver permits to avoid logistics crisis, ATTO warns
Association urges EU and Malta to address international driver shortage as a 'national issue'
The Association of Tractor and Trailer Operators (ATTO) on Monday called for a more streamlined work permits application process for foreign drivers to address the logistics crisis across the international network.
Speaking at a meeting with the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN), ATTO chairman Joseph Bugeja said the shortage of trailer drivers across the international network was now becoming a national issue as it affected deliveries to/from Malta.
“With 80% of Malta’s goods depending on international road transport, this is no longer just a logistics problem – it’s a matter of national interest,” Bugeja said.
He called for work permits for qualified third country national drivers to be issued without delay.
“These drivers, many of whom do not reside permanently in Malta, do not burden national infrastructure yet contribute significantly to the economy and tax base,” Bugeja said.
The driver shortage is part of a broader EU-wide phenomenon. A recent International Road Transport Union (IRU) report revealed that more than three million truck driver positions remain unfilled across 36 countries. However, Malta’s situation is compounded by restrictive procedures in recruiting third-country nationals (TCNs).
Bugeja acknowledged, however, the recent improvements in administrative efficiency. “Identità Malta and Jobsplus have both been extremely supportive in fast-tracking applications, and we thank them for recognising the urgency.”
During the meeting ATTO asked the TRAN Committee to review the disproportionate impact of the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) on shipping-dependent island nations. Under current rules, the ETS imposes an estimated €408 in additional costs per trailer for round-trip freight journeys between Malta and Genoa.
“These costs are inevitably passed onto Maltese consumers,” Bugeja said. “We are not calling for exemptions, but for tailored measures that reflect the geographical and logistical vulnerabilities of member states like Malta.”
ATTO also called for a dedicated EU task force to address the “long-standing impasse” around combined transport regulations. The task force would be mandated to ensure that island states “are not left behind”.
“This discussion has been dragging on for too long. We need urgent, decisive action.”