Ombudsman rules Transport Malta mishandled party banner request

Transport Malta has been rapped by the Ombudsman over its poor handling of a request by Momentum to run a political banner on a busy road.

The Ombudsman said that while the transport regulator’s decision was not arbitrary, its failure to communicate with the political party to justify the refusal was a case of maladministration.

Momentum sought Transport Malta permission in August 2025 to affix a banner by the Santa Venera tunnels, having received council approval for the plan. It proposed Aldo Moro Road in Marsa as an alternative location.

Transport Malta requested photos of the proposed site, which Momentum provided that same day. The regulator told the political party it was reviewing the application - and then provided no further information. 

After Momentum filed a Freedom of Information request, it learnt that the transport regulator had refused the permit application, citing  “security” concerns.

It subsequently referred the case to the Ombudsman, saying it wanted a fair and transparent system for political advertising.

The Ombudsman found that Transport Malta had refused the banner due to policies that stipulated that no banners should be affixed to new bridge structures or facing traffic heading in the opposite direction.

Those reasons were reasonable, the Ombudsman said. But the regulator's method of communicating was not. 

The Ombudsman concluded that Transport Malta had fallen short of good administration standards in the way it handled the case. It failed to clearly communicate the applicable procedures and did not respond to or notify the applicant of a decision.

It advised the regulator to draft a clear policy for banner permits, including a standardised application form and the creation of an online application system for such permits.

Designated sites where temporary banners are permitted should be identified and those sites made publicly available, the Ombudsman said.

The Ombudsman also recommended that Transport Malta be formally obliged to communicate decisions to applicants, including the reasons behind them

 “This case highlights the importance of transparent and accountable procedures within public authorities, particularly where decisions impact political expression and equal treatment,” said Matthew Agius, executive member of Momentum.

“This is even more serious when one considers that we currently see Malta is being over taken by continuous government propaganda not just on billboards but all over street furniture across Malta.”