Malta could position itself as a European testing ground for driverless vehicles by moving early on regulation and governance, according to Matthew Bezzina, Chief Executive Officer of eCabs Technologies.

In an opinion piece in the Times of Malta, Bezzina argues that the island has the opportunity to replicate its past regulatory success in sectors such as gaming, aviation and maritime services by establishing a controlled “regulatory sandbox” for autonomous vehicles.

Autonomous vehicle (AV) fleets are already operating commercially in parts of the United States and Asia, while Europe remains comparatively fragmented, with regulatory caution slowing large-scale deployment. London has recently signalled its willingness to host competing robotaxi operators, highlighting how early movers could shape how the technology develops within their jurisdictions.

Bezzina suggests Malta could follow a similar path by creating a defined testing environment where autonomous vehicles can be deployed, monitored and governed under real-world conditions. Such a sandbox, he argues, would allow regulators to assess safety, liability and insurance frameworks before wider rollout, while concentrating activity in controlled zones rather than dispersing trials across public roads.

Rather than replacing entire taxi fleets overnight, Bezzina notes that industry consensus is shifting towards hybrid integration models, where autonomous vehicles are gradually introduced alongside human-driven cars. This phased approach, he says, would allow operators and regulators to adapt incrementally, reducing operational risk.

The proposal is also framed as an economic opportunity beyond mobility itself. According to Bezzina, early regulatory clarity could stimulate demand for insurance innovation, legal frameworks, compliance services and safety certification expertise — capabilities that Malta could potentially export, as it has done in other regulated industries.

eCabs Technologies operates ride-hailing platforms in multiple European and international markets and has begun developing infrastructure capable of supporting future autonomous deployments. Bezzina argues that mobility platforms could act as intermediaries between AV manufacturers and regulators, providing operational oversight and compliance layers.

While Malta is unlikely to compete on hardware development, the argument centres on governance. Smaller jurisdictions, Bezzina suggests, can move faster in designing regulatory frameworks for emerging technologies.

The question, he concludes, is whether Malta chooses to shape the rules early — or waits for larger markets to define the standards that others must follow.