Transport Malta calls Y-plate industry meeting after Sliema crash
Authority is understood to be scrambling to introduce reforms mooted nine months ago
Transport Malta has called Y-plate industry players for a meeting after an unlicensed, drunk driver was allegedly involved in a crash that left a man with life-changing injuries.
The authority responsible for the ride-hailing sector is understood to be scrambling to introduce reforms to the sector first mooted eight months ago.
Y-plate driver Ahmed Tahruni, 33, was allegedly driving without a licence or insurance and was under the influence of alcohol when he crashed into a delivery driver on Sliema Strand at 7.20am on Wednesday. The victim has had to have a leg amputated.
Times of Malta is informed that the meeting on Friday afternoon will involve Malta’s three ride-hailing platforms - Bolt, Uber, and eCabs - and other industry stakeholders, including the fleets that directly employ Y-plate drivers.
Transport Malta has had a plan to reform the sector and crack down on abuse since at least the summer; however, there have been no developments since early September.
Among the proposed changes was introducing facial recognition requirements for drivers, who would have to re-authenticate their identity every three hours. That measure would make it harder for unregistered drivers to use verified accounts to operate cabs.
Other proposed changes included removing the drivers tag immediately of anyone found to be over the legal alcohol limit, which is zero for Y-plate drivers, and fining the operator €10,000.
The incident in Sliema comes nine months after another Y-plate driver crashed his cab into a hairdresser's salon in Santa Venera, smashing furniture and stopping just in front of the reception desk. Nobody was inside the salon at the time.
In that incident the cab driver admitted to being drunk behind the wheel at the time, and was handed a six month sentence, suspended for two years.