Malta is an island state with a population of 516K (NSO, 2021) and has two sister islands, Gozo and Comino. The focus will be on Gozo but the project will also be extended to the main island – Malta. According to 2022 data, the modal share for public transport stands at just 4.4% in Gozo and 5.2% in Malta.
Challenges
- Population density along with high car dependence results in traffic congestion.
- More than 97% of the cars are petrol/diesel-powered and less than 3% uses alternative fuel.
- Public transport is not an attractive option, with a modal split of less than 10%
- Public transport routes are perceived as inefficient, as they serve many different areas along the same journey. Therefore, it is very challenging for Malta to reach its climate neutrality goals while it is also challenging to change a heavily car-oriented transport system to become greener and multimodal.
Use cases
The objective is to demonstrate on-demand automated e-bus service across several routes to understand how this new service can be designed effectively and attract new users. Essentially, it is aimed to understand the feasibility of deploying such service on a larger scale, assess aspects like accessibility, cost-effectiveness, safety, and equity.
Role of your living lab in metaCCAZE
Malta has identified a set of routes where they consider an automated on-demand bus would be most beneficial and would attract new users. The living lab will establish what infrastructural changes, that is smart signs and charging points would be required to enhance the automated e-shuttle/e-bus. Solutions related to automation and electromobility will be defined through cross-fertilization activities from Limassol and Tampere, once the project starts.
Living Lab partners
