The Taxi Services Regulations published in 2010 require Transport Malta to issue 50 new Taxi licenses by 2012. Twenty of these licenses are in the process of being allotted, whilst the next 20 are being issued through this call. The last 10 licenses will be issued in 2012. This does not apply to Electric Mini Cabs.

Transport Malta is inviting interested parties to apply for the second set of 20 new Taxi Licenses that will become available as of 7th March 2011.

Interested parties are required to prove to the satisfaction of Transport Malta that they are eligible to obtain a Taxi Operator’s Licence as well as a Taxi Licence in terms of the Regulations. To this effect, applicants are required to fill in and submit application forms TOL-A1 (Application for a Taxi Operator Licence), TOL-A2 (Personal Declaration on Good Repute) with respective Criminal Record, and TOL-A4 (Application for New Taxi Licences) that are available from Transport Malta offices at Sa Maison, Floriana, and also online at www.transport.gov.mt.

These forms are to be submitted at the offices of Transport Malta in Sa Maison, Floriana, from the 7th March 2011 to, and by not later than, 1200hrs of the 25th March 2011.

Transport Malta shall review all applications and shall invite all eligible applicants in writing to submit their bids for the new Taxi Licences under this Call for Applications using form TOL-Z4. These bids shall include a commitment to pay a one-time licence fee of at least €20,000 for every Taxi Licence. Therefore interested parties bidding for more than one Taxi Licence, will have to submit separate bids for every Taxi Licence, and committing to pay at least €20,000 for each Taxi Licence. Applicants shall also submit a bank guarantee of 10% of the bid price for each bid presented, using the template which can be obtained from Transport Malta. Should the bid be successful, the relative bid price will become payable in full before the Taxi Licence is issued. If an applicant decides to withdraw a successful bid, the bank guarantee will be lost in favour of Transport Malta.

The bids will be opened during a public session, which will be held at the premises of Transport Malta immediately after the closing time for the submission of the bids. The bids will then be evaluated by Transport Malta and the following conditions shall apply:

1. No bid for a Taxi Licence of less then €20,000 shall be accepted by Transport Malta;

2. If there are more bids than licences available, Transport Malta shall rank the applications in order of the highest bidder and shall award the licences to the highest bidders so ranked;

3. If there are more bids than licences available, and after awarding the highest bidders, a number of equal bids still remain to be allotted a licence, then the licences shall be assigned by lot;

4. If the number of bids is less than the licences available, all the bids for €20,000 or more will be accepted, and the licences that will not be assigned may be re-issued at any time at the discretion of Transport Malta.

Transport Malta shall notify in writing all persons whose bid has been accepted.

If an accepted bidder renounces to one or more of the accepted bids the funds included in the bank guarantee shall be forfeited, along with all rights on any other bids submitted in his/her application. Bidder will also automatically loose eligibility to bid again in any future call for applications related to taxi licenses.

The accepted bidders will be expected to apply for the actual registration of the Taxi car for which the new Taxi Licence will be issued, within six months from being notified in writing that their bid has been accepted.

A new Taxi Licence shall only be issued to the accepted bidders on condition that the vehicles that they present for registration conform to all the conditions set out in the Taxi Services Regulations for the registration of new Taxi cars, including the peripheral equipment that, according to the Regulations, become effective as of the 1st May 2011.

The new licensees shall pay the bid sum together with any other fees stipulated in the Regulations, upon the issue of the New Taxi licences, or within three months of the acceptance of the bid, whichever is the earlier. All payments are non-refundable.

Licences for Electric Mini Cabs can be applied for and obtained at any time, as long as the operators obtain a Taxi Operator Licence as set out in the Regulations, and the vehicles comply with the conditions set out in the Regulations as summarised below.

• Vehicles must be electric quadricycles with a maximum speed that does not exceed 45km/h; • Vehicles unladen mass does not exceed 400kg; • Vehicles maximum continuous rated power does not exceed 15kW.

All required forms in relation to this call for applications may be obtained from the following sources:

• Transport Malta Offices, Sa Maison Road, Floriana; • Transport Malta website on the address www.transport.gov.mt (Land Transport Section > Taxis)

Further information on the process regarding the assignment of new Taxi licences may be obtained from:

• Transport Malta helpline: 80072393 (from 07:30 to 15:30) • Transport Malta Customer Care: info.tm@transport.gov.mt

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