As of Thursday, operators with five or more Y-plate vehicles are now mandated to have a commercial garage, as per the recently announced regulations by Transport Malta.
These amendments, effective immediately, pertain to the Light Passenger Transport Services and Vehicle Hire Services Regulations.
Operators in this category must secure a development permit affirming the designated garage’s use as a public service garage, in addition to an architect’s declaration, for obtaining or renewing an operator’s license, regardless of fleet size.
Should operators wish to add vehicles to their license, they must ensure adequate space in their existing garages. Failure to do so necessitates an application for a parking facility.
The rules permit operators to garage light passenger transport vehicles off-street, in areas where such parking or garaging is permitted.
Applicants must submit an architect’s report outlining addresses, site plans, and specifying each garage’s vehicle capacity.
Transport Malta asserts that these amendments enhance regulatory efforts in the sector, including the recent requirement for drivers to hold a Maltese or EU driving license. Although immediately enforceable, operators with valid licenses or pending applications have a one-year grace period for compliance.
The authority commits to expediting application processing, including those not renewed prior to the regulation’s publication. This addresses a long-standing concern for self-employed cab drivers, uncertain about the continued use of private garages for vehicle storage. Earlier in October, around two dozen drivers gathered at Pembroke Park and Ride in protest of permit non-renewals due to a lack of commercial garages. Transport Malta initially sought clarification through Facebook messages and later provided a Planning Authority document outlining commercial garage requirements.
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