Future of Valletta's electric cabs

CT Cabs was awarded the tender issued by the Malta Transport Authority (ADT, now Transport Malta) in April 2007 to provide an electric cab service limited to Valletta in an effort to provide short-distance transportation to both residents and those who visit Valletta either to work or for business/leisure purposes.

After three years operating the service, CT Cabs, which had no previous operational experience and track record, this being a first-time venture, has now learnt the realities of what this operation involves and is in the process of making adjustments to the operational model to take this concept forward.

The first conclusion reached is that there is certainly a healthy demand for the service. Without any hesitation, I believe the market is there and is set to grow even further.

One factor that has had a huge impact on the level of service we provide is the pressure caused by highly irregular peaks in service demand: the highest between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., when everyone is entering Valletta; a second peak (not as great) at lunchtime; and a third in the evening for residents who are going to church, the market or the waterpolo club. Because of these peaks, we have become our own worst enemy because for every customer we handle we are leaving three behind. This in itself has been the learning curve we needed to undergo for this new project.

The second conclusion based on our experience is that Valletta, being so hilly topographically, causes the lifespan of the battery charge to be much shorter than originally anticipated. As a consequence, although there are meant to be 10 circulating vehicles, according to our contract, once the day gets going we can never have them all on the road at the same time. Half of them will be idle while their batteries are being charged at specially-designated charging bays. This leads to a lack of service channels, with supply not enough to meet the demand, as is also felt by the public.

The third conclusion is that, although there are nine cab stations around Valletta, we do not have enough vehicles to service them. So, we have become very dependent on a phone-in service, with customers preferring to call the company directly instead of going to the cab stations.

From these experiences we need to build the future of the service. I was amazed how totally accepted the service has become by residents and visitors alike, be they locals and tourists. I strongly believe the service can be financially feasible if the following changes are made.

The electric cabs should be made available for the pedestrian areas of Valletta only. It is clear to me that the government is increasing the pedestrianisation of Valletta. Therefore, the service of electric cabs running in the core of Valletta is certainly needed by both residents of, and visitors, to the capital.

Cab stations should be built into the new development in Freedom Square and the electric cabs will operate a circular service around the pedestrianised zones only. This service will then be complemented with conventionally-powered and/or hybrid taxi vehicles, which will be focused on offering a service outside the pedestrian zones within the capital and would not have the same issues related to battery life the electric cabs are facing.

I also feel that both the conventionally-powered and/or hybrid taxis as well as the electric cabs could have a financial model that is sustainable and acceptable to the market in general. Without any doubt, CT Cabs Ltd intends to push for these changes to occur in order to ensure that the service provided by these cabs will exceed the expectations of all consumers.

The past three years have been a learning experience for this young company. We are very sensitive to our clients' needs and, with the input received from all stakeholders, I am sure the service can be further enhanced and the laudable concept of a sustainable, pollution-free transportation system for the capital can be successfully implemented.

Mr De Martino is managing director of CT Cabs Ltd, a member in the CT Holding Group of Companies.