New taxis to provide fiscal receipts, accept card payments

40 new taxis to be equipped with CCTV cameras and provide fiscal receipts have been given new licences worth over €2 million, transport minister Austin Gatt said today.

20 July 2011, 12:00am

1 min read

The CCTV cameras will be retaining audio-less images for 10 days, after which the data will be erased. The new taxis are also equipped with an emergency button and a taxi meter that will provide fiscal receipts as well as process card payments. Additionally, a tracking device and 2-way radio communication will link the taxis to Transport Malta wherever they are.

Transport Malta picked tenderer Alberta to provide the peripherals for the new taxis. Older taxis will have the equipment installed with a grant from the government of €3,000 for each taxi – a total of €750,000 for 200 taxis in Malta and 50 in Gozo.

Gatt said the TM control room would be financed from the revenues from the new licences.

The new rules effectively signal the full liberalisation of the taxi service, previously a monopoly in the hands of white-taxi licence-holders.

New licence holders must have a clean sheet of conduct, attend a 46-course in theory and practice, as well as sit for an exam. They will then spend 40 hours accompanied by other drivers before being given their licence.

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Hi Briffa, nahseb taf kemm issa sejjer taqbad taxi. Izjed meta kief gie irrapurtat '' a short trip from the airport to Kirkop will cost a maximum of €11, while a trip from Valletta to Ċirkewwa will set the customer back as much as €32'' Jaqaw irbah is super five!!!!

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Briffy : tghaggilx wisq dwar " is-successi " - kif sejjahtilhom int - ta' Austin Gatt ! Taf x'gara s'issa dwar ir-riforma tat-trasport pubbliku - VROMA MILL-KBAR. L-estensjoni tal-Power Station giet ikkritikata anki minn opinjonisti " nazzjonalisti " li jiktbu fit-Times, ghal mod suspettus ghal-ahhar kif saret biex minflok tahdem bil-gas se tibda tahdem bl-aktar zejt li jhammeg l-arja. U anki l-Awditur Generali kiteb li sab hafna " duhhan " ta' korruzzjoni izda ma setax isib in-"nar". Pero int taf Briffy, li " fejn ikun hemm id-duhhan ikun hemm in-nar " anki jekk ma tarahx ! Dwar il-progetti l-ohra ilhom iweghduhom snin kbar u s'issa ma waslux 1 Kif ma semmejt xejn dwar il-progett tal VILAG TAS-SNAJJA f'Ta Qali ? Kien ilu jweghdulhom Austin Gatt talinqas 15 il-sena izda baqghu b'xiber imnieher ! U dwar Smart City, li tghidx kemm kien isemmi dan il-progett qabel l-elezzjoni, KIF ISSA QED JAHRAB MILLI JIRRISPONDI MISTOQSIJIET DWARU ?? Isa Briffy ghidolna int ! Eddy Privitera

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Another feather in the cap of Austin Gatt. It's amazing how this man has managed to achieve all these successes. First the public transport system, now the taxis not to mention the development of the old dockyard wharf, the Menqa development, the water taxis,the Delimara PS extension and a host of others. We all must be grateful to this man who has achieved so much for Malta. He is a real doer.

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Fiscal receipts : A very good idea! What about the Professionals fiscal receipts ?