Taxi rides from €2 and tax on vacant homes: Momentum launches manifesto

Momentum has proposed subsidised shared taxi rides and a new tax on vacant homes as two of the headline pledges in its electoral manifesto for the 2026 general election.

Launching its 259-point manifesto on Thursday, the party said its subsidised shared cab initiative would offer an immediate alternative to private car use without waiting years for major infrastructure projects. 

The proposal would use existing ride-hailing apps, upgraded with artificial intelligence, to group commuters travelling in the same direction into shared vehicles that pick them up at their door and drop them at their destination. 

Under the plan, the government would spend €234 million a year on fare subsidies to keep prices low and avoid peak-hour surges. As a first step, people aged 15 to 24 and those aged 65 and over would be able to use the service for a flat €2 fee. 

Momentum says the proposal forms part of an €842 million “transport revolution” which could cut travel times by 60% and reduce the number of private cars on the road to 200,000 by 2033, taking congestion back to 2005 levels. 

The party argues Malta currently loses €1.1 billion a year in traffic and wasted fuel. 

The transport package also includes a €150 million investment in 300 new buses, €20 million for more bus lanes, €100 million to upgrade 2,000 bus stops, and another €100 million to overhaul pavements leading to transport hubs. It also proposes real-time information on bus occupancy through mobile apps, a TV channel and a freephone service. 

Tax on second vacant home

The manifesto also proposes what Momentum calls a Property Speculation Tax on second vacant residential properties onwards, with all revenue ring-fenced for social housing. 

The party says the tax would not apply to a person’s first vacant property, including a second home or summer residence, and would exclude garages, warehouses, offices and other non-residential properties. 

Vacant homes would be identified through utility consumption patterns, while registered rental properties would be automatically exempt. 

Momentum says the measure is intended to discourage speculative vacancy, push unused homes back onto the market and help fund affordable housing. 

Speaking at the launch, party leader Arnold Cassola said the manifesto was not merely an election document but the result of a long consultation process involving citizens, NGOs, professionals and experts. 

Momentum said the document was developed through eight 'Vision Circles' - public meetings held by the party over the past year - as well as consultations with NGOs and experts. The manifesto’s acknowledgements list contributors including Rota, Solidarjetà, Repubblika, Moviment Graffitti, Il-Kollettiv, Flimkien Għall-Ambjent Aħjar, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Friends of the Earth and individuals including content creator Conrad Neil Gatt and engineer Marco Cremona. 

'Systemic redesign of the country'

General secretary Mark Camilleri Gambin said the manifesto contained 259 proposals, with 47 highlighted during Thursday’s presentation. 

“We are not just offering promises; we are offering a systemic redesign of how our country functions,” Camilleri Gambin said. 

The manifesto is built around four pillars: transparent and accountable governance, sustainable environment and planning, a just and innovative economy, and a resilient and equal society. 

On governance, Momentum is proposing stronger anti-corruption powers, a special prosecutor’s office for high-profile corruption cases, the automatic publication of magisterial inquiries upon completion, stronger whistleblower protections and a lifetime ban from public office for anyone convicted of corruption. 

It is also proposing that key appointments, including the police commissioner and standards commissioner, require a two-thirds parliamentary majority, and that several powers be transferred from the prime minister to parliament. 

The party is calling for a formal constitutional reform process through a constitutional convention, citizen assemblies and a national referendum. 

E-voting and postal ballots

It also wants e-voting, postal ballots and voting at embassies and consulates for Maltese citizens living abroad, with the aim of having those systems in place by the 2031 general election. 

On planning, Momentum is proposing a two-year moratorium on permits for buildings of 10 floors or more, the refounding of the Planning Authority, and a ban on sanctioning illegal ODZ structures built after 2008. 

The party also wants undeveloped rationalised land reclassified as ODZ and public land protected through a constitutional amendment prohibiting its sale for commercial use. 

On climate and energy, Momentum says Malta should become carbon neutral by 2050 through greater investment in offshore wind, solar farms, community energy projects, battery storage and renewable energy research. It also proposes a roadmap towards zero plastic, including a ban on single-use plastic and a phase-out of plastic packaging in supermarkets. 

On wages, the party is proposing a statutory “decent living wage” of €360 per week, phased in over four years, and tax-free COLA increases. It also wants equal pay for equal work, including where agency or private-sector workers carry out the same duties as state employees. 

Other proposals include restricting social media access for children under 16 in line with the European Parliament’s position, increasing maternity leave to 26 weeks, introducing paid shared parental leave, creating an independent Animal Protection Ombudsman, and establishing a Foreign Service Act to professionalise Malta’s diplomatic corps.