The government’s proposed overhaul of Malta’s ride-hailing industry has been welcomed by eCabs, whose executives said the measures were long overdue and essential to restore safety, fairness, and accountability.

Matthew Bezzina, CEO of eCabs Technologies, said the reforms confirmed what industry insiders had argued for years: serious regulation is finally moving forward. He highlighted four key measures — phasing out cash payments, enforcing limits on driver working hours, ending exploitative 50/50 rent-sharing models, and stricter compliance rules for platforms and fleets.

“These changes are overdue,” Bezzina said, pointing to a recent case of a cab driver caught drunk on duty as a stark reminder of the stakes involved. “Without proper enforcement, it is only a matter of time before lives are lost.”

Reflecting on eCabs’ 15-year role in the sector, he said the industry had delivered innovation and growth but also exposed loopholes that undermined both safety and fairness. “Regulation must now catch up,” he stressed, adding that the challenge extended beyond Malta. “Europe’s mobility sector must choose between a regulated, professional future or a continued race to the bottom.”

Andrew Bezzina, CEO of eCabs Malta, focused on the government’s plan to eliminate cash payments, describing it as “a decisive and long-overdue reform” that would deliver traceability, accountability, and a fairer environment for operators and passengers alike.

“It’s also a step that aligns the sector with the standards expected in 2025 and beyond,” he said. While acknowledging the difficulty of reforms of this scale, he argued that “taking the bull by the horns here will raise the bar for the entire industry.”

The reform package, announced by the Transport Ministry, would see cash payments — which still account for more than a third of Malta’s 55,000 daily cab trips — phased out by early 2026. Authorities argue that cash transactions pose theft risks, hinder tax compliance, and facilitate undeclared earnings, particularly under the widespread 50/50 revenue-split model between drivers and operators.

Other measures include embedding driver working-hour rules into licensing law, with platforms required to share data with regulators to enforce shift limits and rest periods. Ride-hailing platforms would also face a sharp hike in annual licensing fees — up to €320,000 depending on ride volume — and be obliged to introduce facial recognition technology to verify drivers’ identities.

Additional changes would introduce congestion fees for fleets exceeding 80,000 kilometres annually, along with stricter parking rules and higher fines for breaches.

The ministry said the reforms are designed to bring greater transparency and accountability to a sector that has grown rapidly but has often outpaced regulation. Their impact on fares remains unclear, though rising compliance costs for operators could feed into prices.

For the Bezzinas, the message is clear: the industry must evolve. As Matthew Bezzina put it, “Malta may be a small market, but the lesson is bigger.”