The reform of the taxi service has taken a step forward, with the granting of the first 40 new licences in almost 50 years and the introduction of new standards within the taxis themselves.

Transport Minister Austin Gatt this morning 'unveiled' the first new taxis equipped with a tracking device, a CCTV camera, emergency alarm buttons and new tamper proof taxi meters.

The liberalisation of the tax service was announced by the minister last year when he said that the 200 taxis in Malta (the same number as in the 1960s) would increase to 250 by next year. The number of taxis in Gozo remains fixed at 50 because it is sufficient for the island's needs.

The new taxi licences were issued after a call for tenders, with the minimum bid being of €20,000. 

The fare structure was established by Transport Malta last November.

The minister explained that the GPS tracking device is being installed in all taxis to enable Transport Malta and the police to track taxis, if necessary, and also to correlate with the taxi meter and emergency buttons which can be activated by passengers and drivers. CCTV will also be installed in all taxis as a security measure and the recording will be accessible only to the police, thus ensuring data protection. 

Drivers are also being asked to follow a course, with subjects ranging from customer care and inter-personal skills to traffic regulations and safe driving.

Dr Gatt said it was hoped that the liberalisation process and the higher standards would attract more custom.