Chauffeur-driven fleet increases to 6,000 despite tighter rules

Malta’s chauffeur-driven passenger-car fleet has surpassed 6,000 vehicles despite tighter operating rules, raising fresh questions about the Transport Ministry’s ability to manage the sector’s continued expansion.

New National Statistics Office figures show that 6,071 passenger cars were licensed under the “garage hire” category at the end of September, up from 5,832 in June and 5,206 a year earlier.

The figures represent a net increase of 239 vehicles in three months and 865 over a year – an annual rise of almost 17%.

The expansion continued during the quarter in which the government introduced its latest regulatory framework, placing Transport Minister Chris Bonett’s efforts to bring the sector under stronger supervision under renewed scrutiny.

New rules took effect on 29 July, introducing separate licensing categories for smaller and larger operators, alongside requirements concerning garages, parking, drivers’ working hours and booking platforms. Larger operators face additional requirements covering tax compliance and financial standing.

The framework also introduced minimum driving-experience requirements, compulsory rest periods and stronger platform oversight, including driver verification and access to operating data.

The government had already publicised enforcement action earlier this year. In March, Bonett announced that 297 drivers had been stopped from working because they did not comply with Transport Malta’s regulations, while 20 operators had been removed from booking platforms.

Those interventions have not prevented further fleet expansion.

While removing non-compliant drivers and operators addresses abuses, the latest figures expose the distinction between policing individual breaches and managing the overall growth of the industry.

The chauffeur-driven increase forms part of a wider surge in vehicle numbers.

Malta’s total licensed fleet reached 468,367 in September, following a net addition of 4,633 vehicles during the quarter – an average of 50 a day.

In the meantime, traffic chaos increases by the day as Tranposrt Malta and its Minister continue to look at the problem without offering any policy direction or solutions.