Operators were not given notice of a ban on rental electric scooters and only learned about the decision through the media.
Scooter operator Bolt said the announcement to ban rental e-scooters would be a step backwards in reducing traffic congestion in Malta.
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that the operator of Bird scooters has opened a court case against the transport ministry claiming discriminatory treatment.
From March 1, 2024, rental e-scooters will be banned nationwide, the transport ministry announced on Thursday, citing “disturbances” endured by the community. The decision has placated many residents but incensed operators, users and environmentalists who accused the government of abandoning clean vehicles and promoting the use of cars.
“Usually, the businesses involved would be told before about a decision like this. But we learnt everything at the same time as everyone else,” said Roberto Pestana, director of Seven Group, which operates Bird scooters.
Pestana recently took the government to court for breaching EU laws and discriminatory treatment towards his company.
“A month later, they banned e-scooters,” he said.
Pestana accused the Maltese authorities of having been long hostile to rental e-scooters, arguing that Malta’s legislation that defines an e-scooter as a ‘motor vehicle’ breaches EU rules, while imposing discriminatory heavier fines for e-scooters when compared to cars.
A letter sent to Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia by LEVA-EU, a Europe-wide micro-mobility trade association, said that a requirement for e-scooter users to have a driver’s licence breaches EU directives.
Pestana said his last communication with the government was on September 13 in a meeting that discussed the future of e-scooters as well as proposals.
Meanwhile, Bolt, which also operates hundreds of scooters, said the decision to ban comes as a surprise and hoped the authorities are prepared to revise their decision and find a solution.
In a statement, Bolt said it always raised concerns with the authorities about building parking infrastructure across Malta, since the lack of proper parking facilities is the main cause of inconvenience.
Bolt proposed a number of parking allocations in various localities, which would not have impacted the available parking for vehicles. A parking project kicked off by the San Ġwann local council in 2022 moves in that direction.
It said the potential of shared scooters could make a positive change in localities.
The company also pointed out that initiatives like Bolt Patrol meant scooters could be better organised and the introduction of Smart AI parking was aimed at educating customers.
The minister said e-scooter violations are so rife that not even doubling the number of enforcement officers overnight would have solved the issue.
The amount of abuse overshadowed the advantages of rental e-scooters, he said, including speeding on promenades, negligent riding, riding on arterial roads, bad parking and riding on the wrong side of the road.
E-NGOs such as Friends of the Earth have slammed the decision with cycling advocacy group Rota accusing the government of unwillingness to regulate shared micro-mobility.