The authorities are considering imposing a one-hour limit on ride-hailing cabs using public electric charging points, as part of a broader regulatory crackdown on the sector.
The idea is understood to be part of a raft of legal changes being considered.
Officials at Transport Malta are mulling the idea after complaints that some cab drivers are plugging into charging points at night and leaving their vehicles there until the morning.
Y-plate drivers could be fined if they leave their vehicles plugged into charging points for longer than an hour, according to sources close to the discussions.
“That is enough time for them to charge and continue working – but not enough to prevent private electric vehicles from charging their cars,” sources said, adding cab drivers would be expected to use private charging points in garages for longer use.
The change is expected to be announced within the coming weeks.
Aaron Gatt, president of the Light Passenger Operators Association (LPOA), said he agreed with the step, conceding there had been “a lot of abuse” of charging points by some operators.
The LPOA represents drivers licensed to drive light passenger transport vehicles, commonly referred to as Y-plate vehicles, which are booked over the phone and through ride-hailing apps.
Gatt suggested some drivers were likely leaving their car at public charging points as a means of parking their vehicles overnight instead of using a garage as required by regulations.
“It’s certainly happening, so that’s probably why they [the government] are considering it... I can understand it; I don’t think it’s a bad thing,” he said.
He added the change would bring charging regulations in line with other existing laws that limit use of parking spaces by Y-plate cabs to one hour.
Parking arrangements for Y-plate vehicles have come increasingly under the spotlight recently, with almost a fifth of all such cabs in operation ordered off the roads in a major clampdown by the government last month.
The move, part of a crackdown on irregular on-street parking, was followed by further action later in January when multiple fleet operators had their licences suspended after inspectors found that addresses listed as public service garages – required for large operators – were actually fields, stores and shops.
However, a magistrate later reinstated the licence of one of the largest operators, WT Global, while a court decided if it was unfairly suspended.