Uber is planning to launch in Malta within weeks.
The US ride-hailing and food delivery behemoth has informed the government and the transport regulator that it wants to roll out its services in the country.
It is understood the company is in the process of obtaining a licence.
Uber’s Malta presence is being backed by the Alf Mizzi and Sons business empire and will be led by the former CEO of what is likely to be its biggest rival, Bolt.
Seb Ripard had previously run transport company Bolt’s Malta operations before parting ways with it last year.
It is understood that he will be heading a subsidiary of the Mizzi business group which is leading talks with Uber’s top officials in Europe.
Contacted yesterday, Ripard declined to give a comment. Meanwhile, Uber only said that it is considering the move.
“We plan to expand the presence of Uber in the Mediterranean area and Malta is one of these possible destinations,” the company said.
“We are in the evaluation phase and will announce the availability of our services in the affected areas shortly.
“We confirm that, should we launch in Malta, our operations will be fully compliant with local regulations as happens in all countries where our app is available.”
Treatment of drivers
San Francisco-based Uber, which allows users on its app to request a ride or order courier services, was founded in 2009 and operates in around 65 countries worldwide.
As with other options already available in Malta, when a nearby driver accepts a customer’s request, the app displays an estimated time of arrival for the driver heading to the pickup location.
Often described as a market disruptor, Uber has been criticised for the treatment of its drivers, who are gig workers and independent contractors.
Malta is no stranger to these issues which have already been raised with the arrival of Bolt and Wolt.
Earlier this week, Times of Malta revealed that a government investigation into food couriers and ride-hailing drivers found their employment conditions are unlawful.
Last year, ministers were briefed during a cabinet meeting that the law would likely have to be amended to address the issue.
Government sources said the US-based company was previously in talks to enter the Maltese market. However, the talks fell through in 2019 after arrests over the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia in Bidnija sparked a political crisis within Joseph Muscat’s administration.
Bolt launched as Taxify in 2014, changing its name five years later and diversifying to online delivery service Bolt Food in April 2020, just in time for a boom in the service caused by the COVID-19 restaurant closures.