The transport ministry is planning to begin enforcing rules that limit the number of hours a Y-plate driver can work at any one time, via new legislation expected in the autumn.
The plans come amid concerns that cab drivers are spending too much time behind the wheel, potentially causing a road safety hazard.
“As things stand, Transport Malta doesn’t have the legislative backing to enforce working time regulations, but that will soon change,” a spokesperson for the ministry told Times of Malta.
The law says workers can only work for 12 hours before stopping for 11 hours. Employees must also have a break after six hours and a day off every week.
However, the authority that currently enforces those laws is the Department of Industrial and Employment Relations, the spokesperson said.
The government’s plan is to transpose the working time regulations into the law regulating Y-plates, the Light Passenger Transport Services and Vehicle Hire Service Regulations.
The legislative plan is to introduce the new laws to the House of Representatives shortly after the summer parliamentary recess. Once that is done, Transport Malta enforcement officers will have the authority to enforce the regulations.
As things stand, Transport Malta doesn’t have the legislative backing to enforce working time regulations, but that will soon change
The authority plans to accumulate cab driver data from Malta’s three ride-hailing apps, in order to know how long a driver has been behind the wheel. It also intends to set up an ever-increasing penalty system for drivers and the fleets that employ them, starting from fines and even suspending driver tags for repeat offenders.
“We are doing all we can to improve road safety – ensuring drivers are not overtired is one of the ways we are doing that,” the spokesperson said.
Industry sources said TM has already begun collecting data from Malta’s three ride-hailing platforms: Bolt, eCabs and Uber.
Last week, Times of Malta reported how one driver would sometimes be asked to work 65 hours per week because the drivers who reached the company’s unrealistic targets were more likely to get paid. Sometimes, he would work 72 hours a week.
Last year, Times of Malta also reported how a number of cab drivers claimed they spend up to 16-hour days ferrying passengers across Malta, raising concerns over road safety.
Back then, the transport ministry said it was planning a reform to tackle the issue, while government sources acknowledged concerns over passenger safety.
Shadow minister’s reaction
Shadow transport minister Mark-Anthony Sammut said he was glad to see that the government was planning to implement one of the PN’s transport proposals, which is aimed at addressing abuses in the cab sector.
Underlining the need for safety and efficiency he said the PN’s vision for the transport sector was built on researched, achievable proposals which could lead to better quality of service and safer roads.