Malta is ready for a subsidised shared cabs service, says Momentum

An announcement by the Minister for Sustainable Mobility that more than five million Y-Plate journeys took place between February and May confirms the need to introduce a subsidised shared cab initiative, Momentum said on Wednesday. 

The party said the figures demonstrate that people are increasingly willing to choose alternatives to using their private cars when those alternatives are convenient, reliable and accessible.

It recalled that one of its transport proposals during the general election was the introduction of a subsidised shared cab initiative through ride-hailing applications that people already use every day.

“Rather than creating a new system from scratch such as the Metro, and while ensuring that the bus service remains the backbone, with more buses, new routes, and increased frequency, the government should work with Y-Plate operators and app providers to introduce subsidised shared rides," party leader Arnold Cassola said.

"Passengers travelling along similar routes would be matched automatically through existing apps, making shared journeys cheaper and more attractive.”

“Every shared cab has the potential to remove up to four private cars from Malta’s roads. This means less congestion, lower emissions, reduced parking pressure and shorter travel times for everyone,”  Cassola said.