Five million Y-Plate journeys show Malta is ready for a subsidised Shared Cab Initiative

Momentum welcomes the announcement by the Minister for Sustainable Mobility that more than five million Y-Plate journeys took place between February and May, a remarkable increase over the same period last year. These figures clearly demonstrate that people are increasingly willing to choose alternatives to using their private cars when those alternatives are convenient, reliable and accessible.

The figures reinforce one of Momentum’s key transport proposals presented during the general election campaign: the introduction of a Subsidised Shared Cab Initiative through the ride-hailing applications that people already use every day.

Arnold Cassola, leader of Momentum, said, “Rather than creating a new system from scratch such as the Metro and while ensuring that the bus service remains the backbone, with more buses, new routes, and increased frequency, the Government should work with existing Y-Plate operators and app providers to introduce subsidised shared rides. Passengers travelling along similar routes would be matched automatically through existing apps, making shared journeys cheaper and more attractive.”

“Every shared cab has the potential to remove up to four private cars from Malta’s roads. This means less congestion, lower emissions, reduced parking pressure and shorter travel times for everyone.”

Momentum notes that these figures prove that demand for ride-hailing services is growing rapidly. The next logical step is to encourage passengers to share those journeys through targeted subsidies that make pooled travel the most economical choice.

Just as the government subsidises public transport because it offers an alternative to private car use, a shared cab should also be viewed as an investment in sustainable mobility. It would complement buses, ferries, cycling and walking by providing another practical transport option, particularly for journeys where public transport may not be the most efficient choice.

Cassola added, “Malta does not need to wait years for major infrastructure projects before tackling traffic congestion. By making better use of transport systems that already exist, the Government can deliver immediate improvements while reducing the number of cars on our roads today.”

Momentum calls on the Government to adopt its Shared Cab Initiative and begin discussions with ride-hailing operators to implement a subsidised shared-ride scheme. The technology already exists, the public is clearly embracing alternative transport, and today’s figures show that Malta is ready for the next step.

Details on the shared cab initiative can be found here: 

• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LqvFvppddJ_pR1FaL0CQB3L8_crBV4AI/view
  
• https://partitmomentum.org/unveils-e842-million-transport-strategy-to-tackle-maltas-congestion-crisis/

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