The number of taxis shot up by almost half in one year, according to the most recent figures from the National Statistics Office.
At the end of the first quarter of last year there were around 2,700 registered cabs on the roads.
By the end of March, this number had risen to some 3,900, an increase of almost 45 per cent.
These figures refer to Y-plate cabs only, comprising those booked over the phone, through ride-hailing apps such as eCabs, Bolt and Uber and those flagged down in the street.
It does not take into account the number of white taxis, which increased in supply by 11 during the same time frame to just over 280.
Last year, the largest increase in the number of cabs occurred between July and September, when the total grew by 356. The lowest increase last year took place in the first quarter, during which time only 132 additional cabs were registered.
Official statistics show that by the end of 2019 there were 2,574 cabs on the roads. This number dipped slightly to 2,340 the following year before climbing back to similar levels in 2021.
By the end of last year, however, the number of cabs had grown by almost 1,350, the largest increase on record.
During the last five years, the number of cabs has almost tripled, with only around 1,400 registered at the end of 2017.
Based on previous quarterly growth rates, the estimated total as of last week is thought to be above 4,000.
Various factors have been linked to the growth of the taxi sector, most notably its improved affordability caused by an increasingly competitive marketplace which, in recent years, has seen the arrival of international competitors such as Bolt and Uber.
The number of cabs represents just less than one per cent of the total number of vehicles in the country – including privately owned cars – which by the end of March stood at 426,720.
In February, Times of Malta reported that a total of 32 new vehicles were added to Malta’s roads each day throughout last year.
This reflected the total stock of vehicles rising to 424,904 by the end of 2022, an increase of almost 12,000 over the previous year.Last year registered the largest rise since 2019, with 15,000 new vehicles being registered. Almost 6,500, or 42 per cent of these, were new passenger cars, while 37 per cent, or 5,700, were motorcycles and e-bikes.
Meanwhile, Eurostat data published the same month showed that Malta had the third-highest increase in greenhouse gas emissions in the third quarter of last year, an increase of eight per cent over the previous year.
Based on previous quarterly growth rates, the estimated total as of last week is thought to be above 4,000.