Uber faces Malta licence suspension over new driver transparency rules
Transport Malta threatens to revoke Uber's licence after the company failed to implement new rules letting drivers see fares upfront.
Uber could lose its licence to operate in Malta after failing to immediately comply with new legal requirements. The dispute centres on a new regulation requiring ride-hailing platforms to update their technology so self-employed drivers can see trip fares and destinations before deciding whether to accept a ride request.
Uber told its self-employed drivers that it is still working on the technology, estimating it will take around two weeks. In the meantime, the company has suspended those drivers from its platform.
Transport Malta has warned Uber that it could revoke its operational licence if the company does not meet the new requirements.
Transport Minister Chris Bonett said Uber had months to prepare for the changes. “The laws were written to strengthen the sector and ensure it gains credibility as a valid and strong alternative means of transport,” he said.
“These actions only harm the sector, and ultimately the workers. As a Government we won’t accept it and we encourage Uber to immediately conform with the law.”
Neither the minister nor Transport Malta has specified a clear deadline for Uber to comply.
For Malta’s business community, the standoff is a test case. The government is signalling that global platforms must adapt to local rules or face consequences, a message that extends beyond transport into any sector where digital intermediaries operate.
The outcome will also affect self-employed drivers caught between platform suspension and regulatory enforcement, with their income on hold until Uber’s technology upgrade is complete.