Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Ian Borg announced a new taxi meter system that has been installed in all white taxis in Malta and Gozo, together with a monitoring system that is being operated by Transport Malta.
The Minister said, “We are continuously investing more in our transport sector, because we are committed to see that our country’s mobility systems reflect the dynamic world we live in. That is why we are ensuring that while we regularise and consolidate the laws and guidelines we have, we are also investing money and energy in upgrades that continue to incentivise people to choose alternative means of transport. This smarter digital system will ensure the safety of drivers and passengers, an improved service, appropriate payment, and more effective enforcement. At the end of the day it is in this way that we can strengthen trust in the taxi sector, which offers an alternative for the private vehicle.”
The new system installed in the vehicles has various functions, including speed and distance, reports for operators and the Authority, automatic calculations of payment and a receipt at the end of every trip, GPS tracking and login systems for drivers, communication and emergency systems, and Wi-Fi. In the meantime, the monitoring system gives the Authority access to the real-time location of every vehicle and information about whether it is on a trip, as well as the driver’s identity and reports of past journeys, logins, and movements.
