Updated 8.30pm
Almost a fifth of all Y-plate cabs in operation have been ordered off the roads in a major clampdown by the government, Times of Malta has learnt.
On Tuesday, Malta’s three ride hailing platforms – Bolt, eCabs and Uber – received an official Transport Malta notice ordering them to block almost 900 cabs from their apps in a bid to crack down on irregular on-street parking.
Sources close to government confirmed that 890 of the 4,800 cabs in operation were ordered off the roads for failing to comply with regulations.
It is understood the operators of these cabs did not adhere to the Public Service Garage policy – which obliges all cabs to be garaged at night or when not in use.
Government and industry sources confirmed that following multiple notices and warnings, these cabs remained non-compliant.
“Should any vehicle belonging to these operators be found on the road without proper regulation by the authority, rendering its Light Passenger Transport Services (LPTS) licence invalid, it will be subject to confiscation by Transport Malta’s enforcement unit,” one source close to government said.
Times of Malta understands the measure should not have any major impact on the price of rides, as the enforcement comes during a post-holiday season lull when there is more than enough supply to meet demand for rides.
Maltese law requires anyone operating a vehicle rental or leasing service to also maintain a Public Service Garage (PSG).
In essence, to run a Y-plate service, it is not enough to own the vehicles – operators must have a garage that meets stringent safety, insurance and maintenance standards.
PSG licences are issued by Transport Malta but only after a permit has been issued by the Planning Authority.
The government introduced the regulation in 2023, requiring operators to provide TM with site plans for garages or off-street parking showing there was adequate space for the registered vehicles.
It urged fleets to get in line and a year later followed up with a notice informing them they had an extended period, till last month, to have at least applied for a PSG.
Almost 900 vehicles were still not compliant by the end of the year, which is why this week Transport Malta initiated the clampdown following the months-long saga.
Meanwhile last October, some drivers complained that they were struggling to renew their operator licences due to an ongoing dispute between architects and transport authorities.
They claimed Transport Malta has been rejecting their applications for months, citing issues with garage declarations.
Questions were sent to all three platforms.
'A step in the right direction'
An eCabs spokesperson confirmed to Times of Malta that the company had received a notification from Transport Malta earlier this week.
“The notification directed all three ride-hailing platforms to suspend access to a list of Y-plate cab operators that had failed to comply with regulations pertaining to garaging requirements.
“These regulations are in place to prohibit on-street residential parking by out-of-use Y-plated vehicles and reduce the impact of the ride-hailing industry on residential communities,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said eCabs Malta immediately complied with this notification, suspending service to all listed operators that were registered on the eCabs platform.
“We believe this is a step in the right direction for a safe and sustainable industry for all.”
A spokesperson for Bolt meanwhile said the platform was aware of the developments linked to compliance with the Public Service Garage Policy.
"In line with Transport Malta's directives, we are working diligently to review and assess the situation, in a full spirit of cooperation with public authorities," they added.
A spokesperson for Uber said that Transport Malta has provided the company with a list of cab operators that require suspension.
“We are cooperating with TM to suspend these operators,” he said.