The penalty point system introduced in Malta last December seems to have boosted the demand for chauffeur-driven vehicles and may be one of the reasons why the number of such vehicles has increased rapidly over the past year, Minister for Transport Ian Borg told The Malta Independent. Other reasons listed for the large increase include the tourist influx and the number of foreign firms settling in Malta, amongst others.

Chauffeur-driven vehicles refer to motor vehicles used to carry not more than eight passengers, which are hired with a driver against compensation.

Figures tabled in parliament by Borg last week showed that the number of registered chauffeur driven cars doubled between the year 2016 and 2017. In 2016, 127 chauffeur driven cars were registered, up by just six from the previous year (2015). However, the figure more than doubled in the year 2017, when 275 were registered.

The number in 2017 was almost four times that of 2013, where 73 chauffeur driven cars were registered, the least amount over the five-year period.

So far, in 2018, the table showed that 31 chauffeur driven cars were registered in January, the highest number in a single month, when observing the numbers month by month from the previous five years. 

Questioned by The Malta Independent as to what could be the cause of this growth in the need for the service, the minister replied that a number of key factors have led to the increase in demand for chauffeur-driven vehicles.

“The bigger tourist influx and the larger number of foreign firms settling in Malta have contributed to this increase in demand, and thus the resulting figures in the number of registrations,” he said.

“Moreover the introduction of the Penalty point system seems to also have boosted the demand for such services as more people choose to be more cautious on the road and thus opt to book a cab rather than risk driving their own car for a night out.  Also, today’s technologies make it easier and faster for people to book a cab.”

He added that similar trends abroad have also inspired entrepreneurs in Malta to invest in the industry.

“The increase in demand has spurred a number of entrepreneurs, who inspired by similar trends abroad, have invested and revitalised the chauffeur-driven car or cab industry.  These relatively young companies have embraced recent technological advances to turn an unpopular service, mainly associated with tourists, into a more feasible and practical mode of transport,” Borg concluded.