Imagine this: you’re standing at the bustling Triq Repubblika in Valletta, hail a taxi, and it pulls up – but there’s no driver. Welcome to Malta’s vision for the future of transportation. The government, in collaboration with local tech startup Momentum, has unveiled an ambitious plan to introduce shared rides now, and driverless taxis by 2040.

Momentum’s shared ride service, ‘Moovit’, is set to launch later this year. It’s designed to reduce congestion and emissions by encouraging passengers to share rides, similar to services like UberPool or Bolt Food. The app will match passengers heading in the same direction, allowing them to share the cost and environmental impact of their journey.

But how will this work in Malta’s unique urban scene? Momentum’s CEO, Mark Pace, explains, “We’ve designed Moovit with Malta’s streets in mind. It’ll work seamlessly in our towns and cities, from the narrow streets of Mdina to the bustling roads of Birkirkara.”

The long-term goal is even more ambitious: driverless taxis by 2040. Momentum is already working on the technology, using Malta’s roads as a testing ground. The plan is to have a fleet of autonomous vehicles, ready to pick up passengers at a moment’s notice, further reducing the need for private car ownership.

But what about jobs? Pace reassures, “Autonomous vehicles won’t replace jobs, they’ll transform them. We’ll need more maintenance technicians, software engineers, and customer service representatives.”

The road to this future isn’t smooth. Infrastructure needs to be upgraded, laws need to change, and public trust needs to be won. But the government is committed, with a detailed roadmap leading up to 2040.

By 2025, we can expect to see the first driverless cars on our roads, albeit with safety drivers. By 2030, Momentum aims to have a significant number of autonomous taxis in operation. And by 2040, the goal is for driverless taxis to be the norm.

This isn’t just about convenience. It’s about creating a cleaner, greener Malta. Fewer cars on the road mean less congestion and fewer emissions. It’s about creating jobs in the tech sector. It’s about putting Malta at the forefront of transportation innovation.

So, the next time you’re stuck in traffic on the Triq Sant’ Andrija, remember, change is coming. It might not be tomorrow, but it’s on its way. And when it arrives, Malta will be ready.