Draft rules for meters, seat sensors in taxis

Taxis will have to be fitted with a meter and special seat sensors that detect the presence of a passenger and prevent drivers from carrying passengers without activating the meter, under draft regulations published yesterday.

Taxis will also have to be fitted with a two-way communications system, a vehicle tracking device and an emergency button within easy reach of passengers.

According to the regulations there will no longer be a fixed fare although there will be a maximum imposed rate allowing operators the flexibility to give discounts.

The maximum initial fare is set at €3.50, with a rate of €1.40 per kilometre being charged for the first eight kilometres and €1 per kilometre for the rest of the trip.

The taxis will be able to drive around for hire so long as they do not pester people or take up customers within a 50-metre radius from a taxi stand. Neither can they ply for hire within 15 metres from a bus stop.

Moreover, mini cabs, which so far only operate in Valletta, will be able to venture beyond the capital's walls.

The new regulations form part of the public transport reform and are based on a document published for consultation last September when a liberalisation policy was discussed.

The 47-page Light Passenger Transport Services and Taxi Services Regulations say that taxis have to be fitted with a taximeter that will have to be verified by the Malta Standards Authority following their installation and calibration. The regulations provide penalties for tampering.

A small, visible, surveillance camera also has to be installed and is to be positioned in a way to capture the back seat of the taxi. The images will be transmitted to a control room designated by the Transport Authority (ADT) and shall only be accessible to the police in the event of a report of a crime.

Taxis accessible to wheelchairs are to give priority boarding to wheelchair users.

The proposed regulations also provide that taxi licences will not be renewed beyond 12 years from the year of manufacture of the vehicle. However, taxis now in operation will be given an extra two-year transition period. The regulations include eligibility criteria for taxi drivers to be licensed. These include good reputation and conduct. The drivers also have to wear "clean and appropriate clothing" and are obliged to issue fiscal receipts unless they perform fixed-fare trips.

The regulations also go into rates for Christmas and New Year and fixed fares for tourist destination points departing from the airport or the seaport terminal.

Present taxi owners will have six months to apply and obtain a new licence and will be exempt from the initial application fee of €3,100 for a taxi licence.

The regulations provide for fines of up to €3,000 for violation of the regulations and include a point system for repeat offences.