The Malta Transport Authority has issued a call for tenders for the provision of a Valletta electric minicab service with a maximum capacity of four persons.
A spokesman for Urban Development and Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett said the idea was to increase accessibility around Valletta for shoppers and visitors and at the same time reduce emissions.
The issue of air quality and climate change is one of the main environmental challenges listed in the recently-published National Sustainable Development Strategy Report.
The report says that electricity generation and transport are the main contributors to air pollution. The challenge is to ensure efficient production and use of energy as well as a cost-effective transport system while improving air quality.
The use of public transport and car pooling measures should be encouraged, the reports adds. It also recommends the introduction of smaller public buses on certain routes.
The ministry spokesman said the eventual provision of electric minicab services in Valletta and the re-introduction of sea ferries within the harbour and the proposal for improving vertical connections in Valletta will encourage walking and the use of environmentally-friendly public transport systems.
The work undertaken for this project is partly funded by the European Commission under the Pagus Interreg project.
"This is part of a strategy that sees the implementation of a number of integrated transport measures to improve accessibility in Valletta and improve the overall environment for residents and visitors," the spokesman said.
The Park and Ride project, which has been stalled by complaints filed with an arbitration board by two bidders in the tendering process, is also part of the plan.
Another link in the chain will be the vertical connection project linking the Valletta Waterfront with Castille Place, the tender for which will be issued shortly.
"The Valletta Strategy for Accessibility, published late last year, included the promotion of alternative transport means for Valletta. The electric minicab services aim to support the re-introduction of sea ferries to the Valletta peninsula, support mobility from the lower parts of Valletta to the central commercial core of the city and complement the numerous activities in Valletta by acting as a dial-a-ride service.
"The minicabs will have designated areas where they can wait around Valletta, and apart from the dial-a-ride service, can also be stopped along the way. They will follow current traffic rules and will not be allowed to travel outside the boundaries of Valletta," the spokesman said.
"The whole project has a strong environmental aspect and all minicabs will be battery operated; they will contribute no emissions to the very congested capital city," the spokesman said.