Transport Malta issues proposal for national carpooling programme

Transport Malta has called on people and businesses to submit their ideas for a national, web-based carpooling programme.

Interested parties will have to provide a fleet of vehicles – out of which at least 50% must be electric - to operate a car-sharing service in Malta and Gozo, particularly in strategic locations. Users will be able to pre-book a vehicle to carry out a trip from one exclusive public car-parking space to another one

“The service offers advantages to users of the service as well as to the environment and the economy,” Transport Malta said in a statement. “Exclusive car parking and car sharing contribute to the improvement of air quality in urban centres and improved energy efficiency of fuels. Driving less for car parking space means less fuel spent and burnt, hence less carbon based emissions as well. It will also contribute to less traffic congestion because its goal is to have less privately owned vehicles on the road.

“It is a fact that between 90 and 95% of the lifetime of a privately owned vehicle stays parked and idle, thus implying that the investment in it together with high operational costs are far more than actual paying for the use of a car only  when one really needs to.”

The transport regulator added that it will be carrying out an educational campaign to explain the service to the general public.