Transport Minister faces abuse of power claims over Gudja ban for airport pickups

Transport Minister Chris Bonett is facing accusations of misusing ministerial authority after a restriction affecting ride-hailing drivers was announced through a political letter to residents in his own electoral district rather than through official government or regulatory channels.

The letter states that geo-fencing measures have been introduced with immediate effect, preventing Y-plate vehicles located in Gudja from accepting trips from Malta International Airport.

The communication was distributed to households in Gudja and signed by Bonett in his capacity as a political candidate contesting the fourth electoral district.

No legal notice, regulatory circular, or official statement from the ministry or Transport Malta appears to have been issued to announce the measure.

In the letter, Bonett says residents had complained about congestion and illegal parking linked to airport activity. He writes that several commercial vehicles, including Y-plate cars, had been using the locality for parking, adding that Gudja “should not be used for these purposes.”

He then states that “with immediate effect, we have begun implementing geo-fencing measures so that Y-plate vehicles located in Gudja will not be able to accept trips from the airport.”

Industry sources say the restriction was quietly activated through platforms including Bolt, Uber and eCabs, leaving drivers to discover the change only when their apps stopped allowing them to accept airport trips.

Drivers say they received no formal notification from the authorities.

The move has also raised legal questions within the sector.

In 2023, the government amended the Light Passenger Transport Regulations (S.L. 499.68), introducing specific distance-based restrictions for ride-hailing vehicles. These include a 250-metre restriction from taxi stands at passenger ship berthing sites, Malta International Airport and Floriana; 100 metres from other taxi stands; and 15 metres from bus stops.

Those provisions established measurable distance limits around specific transport infrastructure. However, they do not explicitly provide for restrictions preventing drivers located in a locality from accepting airport trips.

Industry sources insist the restriction described in Bonett’s letter appears to go beyond those legal provisions, as it effectively excludes drivers parked in Gudja from accessing airport fares altogether.

For Y-plate drivers, licensed operators whose income often depends heavily on airport trips, the restriction has immediate financial implications.

Several drivers told The Shift that the system now prevents them from accepting airport rides whenever their vehicle is located within the locality.

There has been no consultation with the sector, no regulatory notice, and no publicly available legal amendment explaining the change. Instead, the political letter to residents appears to have been the first indication that the measure had been introduced.

Bonett’s unilateral decision has also drawn attention because of its political context, particularly among Labour candidates contesting the same district and vying for a seat in the next elections.

Gudja forms part of the fourth electoral district, the same district that elected Bonett and where he is widely expected to contest again at the next general elections.

The measure appears to respond to complaints from residents in the minister’s district while imposing operational restrictions on a nationally licensed transport sector.

“If regulatory changes can be introduced this way, through letters to constituents rather than through a lawful regulatory process, it raises serious questions about the use of executive power and the integrity of Malta’s transport regulatory framework,” one industry source said.

Questions sent to Bonett by The Shift, asking him to clarify the legal basis for the restriction and whether the measure had been formally introduced through Transport Malta, remained unanswered at the time of publication.