All the interviews, articles and blogs to do with Dr Andrew Bezzina, CEO at eCabs on the eCabs website will fall under this tag.

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Introducing Women+ Ride-hailing by women, for women

Introducing Women+: Ride-hailing by women, for women

We believe the ride-hailing industry can, and should, provide rewarding and empowering work, for everyone.

That’s everyone. Not just men.

But women too.

That’s why, this week, we launched a first for Malta: Women+.   

This new women-to-women ride service allows passengers, particularly, but not exclusively women, to request rides specifically from women drivers.

For our riders, we wanted to create a women-led community space where they have peace of mind, while keeping fares and ETAs the same.

But, for the women drivers participating in this new service, we’re offering more than just peace of mind.

We’re offering a 0% commission rate, followed by  a generously discounted 10% rate for the rest of March.

And, we’ll be donating 50 cents from each completed Women+ ride to the FIDEM Foundation – a non-profit that provides support and educational opportunities to vulnerable people, particularly women, adolescent girls, and children.

Why Women+ ?

We really wanted to achieve two things.

First, to create more opportunities for women drivers in Malta and Gozo.

We want to empower female drivers to create a more diverse workplace.

It’s no secret that the ride-hailing sector is dominated by men.

In fact, more than 72% of transport workers in Malta are male.

At eCabs’ Malta operation we work with thousands of partner drivers, including some incredible women.

But, outdated stereotypes and other barriers have kept too many women from a great way to work.

We want more women to be free to join this sector.

After all, a diverse driver pool enriches the overall ride-hailing experience for everyone, offering passengers a variety of perspectives and backgrounds.

Peace of mind

The second reason we launched Women+ is to provide an additional layer of comfort for women riders, ensuring they feel safe and supported at every step of their journey.

The Women+ ride category will operate 24/7 every day of the week to make sure that women drivers and passengers can get around safely and in a way that’s most comfortable for them.

Drivers on Women+ will also be free to cancel or refuse male riders on Women+ without being penalised.

Not to mention our 24/7 manned customer support service and other in-app safety features.

We built Women+ after consulting with women.

We’ve heard your feedback – drivers and riders alike.

Now, we’re excited to be driving this change.

Women+ category in support of female drivers, riders

eCabs Malta introduces Women+ in support of female drivers, riders

eCabs has announced a new ride type category operated by women for women that’s geared towards supporting female drivers, promoting passenger safety,  as well as contributing to women’s education and empowerment initiatives.

The app will also donate to women’s education and empowerment through the month of March.

The new Women+ category will give riders the option to select a female driver when hailing a ride on the eCabs app in Malta.For riders, opting for Women+ there will be greater peace of mind, while ETAs and fares will be in line with the eCabs Go category.

Female drivers who opt to participate in Women+ will benefit from a 0% commission rate from 8th to 15th March and a discounted 10% commission for the rest of the month, while carrying out Women+ rides.

Women drivers will also be free to cancel or refuse male riders on Women+ without being penalised.

Set to roll out today Thursday, 7th March, just in time for International Women’s Day, eCabs has also pledged to donate 50 cents from each Women+ ride completed throughout March to the FIDEM Charity Foundation.

Set up in 2018, the FIDEM Foundation provides support and empowerment opportunities to vulnerable people, particularly women, adolescent girls, and children, across Malta and Gozo through life-changing access to education and well-being guidance.

Announcing the new rides category, Andrew Bezzina, Chief Executive Officer of eCabs’ Malta Operation, said the initiative underscores the ride-hailing company’s commitment to promoting safety, peace of mind, and inclusivity across its platform.

“At eCabs we’ve always believed in the importance of encouraging more women to enter this dynamic sector, which is still dominated by men,” he said. “This is why we have decided to launch Women+ and to partner with The FIDEM Foundation – an organisation that lives by the words ‘give a woman a fish and you feed her for a day. Teach a woman to fish and you feed her for a lifetime’.

“We strongly believe in empowering more women to succeed and are thrilled to be partnering with this organisation.” Bezzina added.“It’s time for women to get in the driver’s seat,” he said.“We also believe in offering alternatives for riders who would prefer to choose a female driver. eCabs was set up to build an inclusive and safe ride hailing community and this is another important step in that journey,” Bezzina concluded.

On her part, FIDEM Foundation founder Sabine Agius Cabourdin said she was thrilled to be collaborating with eCabs.”We are honoured that eCabs chose FIDEM Foundation for their Women’s Day fundraising initiative. It means the world to us knowing that we can continue working with vulnerable people who need our help,” she said.“Every cent goes into ensuring that women and adolescent girls can have access to training courses and education that will help them change their lives.” she added.

FIDEM Foundation has helped around 300 women and girls, and sometimes their children too, by covering educational course fees and other costs such as course materials, laptops, uniforms and even transport.“It gives us tremendous satisfaction when we see one of our service users go from homelessness and domestic abuse to graduating from university and thriving in a new career that gives her financial independence. This is how we empower women holistically.” Agius Cabourdin concluded.

Highlights:

  • Swift service: With an estimated average ETA in line with the eCabs Go service, the Women+ category promises timely and efficient rides for all users.
  • Competitive pricing: The pricing for Women+ rides will also be on par with the eCabs Go category.
  • Supporting women empowerment: For every completed Women+ ride, 50 cents will be donated by eCabs to FIDEM, a reputable NGO committed to providing education and well-being guidance to vulnerable women. By choosing Women+, you’re not just getting a ride, you’re helping an important social cause.
  • Driver incentives: To encourage participation, there will be a 0% driver commission for the first week on all Women+ rides, followed by a 10% discounted commission until the end of March.
  • Safety first:  The well-being of eCabs users is our top priority and a task we do not take lightly. That’s why we operate a 24/7 support line and in-app safety features – because we are committed to ensuring a secure environment for all stakeholders.

In the press:

Times of Malta | Malta Daily | Lovin Malta

Political consensus to fix our traffic problem

Political consensus to fix our traffic problem

Government, opposition must work together to address the country’s traffic problem.

A new transport minister was sworn in on Monday. Tasked with tackling the nightmarish situation on Malta’s crowded and crumbling roads, Chris Bonett has been handed one of the most challenging portfolios in government. 

The central issue? How do you reduce traffic congestion on an overcrowded island that’s obsessed with cars?  This is not a new dilemma – far from it.

So, how can Bonett succeed where successive others (he is the fourth transport minister since 2013) have struggled?

First off, there’s no time to waste.

The new minister should resist the urge to play for time by sweeping the issue under the rug – commissioning new studies or long-drawn-out reports on the transport situation.

The traffic problem, as well as the best possible solutions, have already been thoughtfully laid out by the country’s leading experts – most recently in the National Transport Strategy for 2050 as well as the National Transport Plan 2025.

In essence, these documents say the situation is critical and call for a total shift in the way we travel across these islands. It is time, the strategy documents say, to embrace a car-light lifestyle and change the way we move from A to B.

This means investing in buses, bicycles, ride sharing and, yes, sure, even ferries and other innovative solutions. But it also means taking unpopular decisions. And this is where it gets tricky. 

Malta’s two-party political system means that, all too often, governments are held hostage by the electorate over key policy issues. Ministers are unable to make bold decisions necessary for the good of the country for fear of reprisal from voters come the next general election. 

What transport minister, for instance, would introduce measures that disincentive personal car use? None. What transport minister would free up urban space currently gobbled up by on-street parking? Or create entirely car-free zones to replace tarmac with new walkways, trees and community spaces?

What transport minister would go through the trouble of investing in the development of a national mass transit system that won’t even be finalised in their political lifetime?

Making decisions that will yield long-term benefits is difficult when the policymaker’s future depends on the five-year political cycle. The solution to this dilemma lies in political consensus. 

If responsibility is shared across both the government and the opposition for this sort of unpopular, but sorely needed, policy decisions then the threat of voter retribution is significantly reduced.  

If Bonett wants to make meaningful headway in addressing the traffic problem, then he must reach across the aisle and bring the opposition on board.

Reducing personal car use holds the potential to reduce the negative impacts of transport.

eCabs Malta CEO Andrew Bezzina

Shadow transport minister Adrian Delia must also rise to this challenge and show the sort of political maturity and long-term thinking that is so desperately needed if we are to truly tackle the traffic problem. This could be a watershed moment for Malta – a political coming-of-age where we finally begin addressing the traffic situation in a meaningful way.   

Bonett’s first comments to the media shortly after being sworn into office are encouraging.

He was right when he told reporters that the solutions are long-term and require stakeholder input.

Make no mistake about it: the situation is critical. 

According to the number-crunchers at the NSO, there are now more than 18,000 vehicles squeezed into every square kilometre of road in Malta – the smallest and most densely populated country in the EU.

As the CEO of the only locally based ride-hailing operation in Malta, I recognise that we too play a big role here. 

The ride-hailing sector has added new vehicles to our roads and eCabs hopes to engage with Bonett to untangle this sector and introduce workable policies to improve the situation. 

Solutions exist.

This is a goal eCabs shares with cities around the world and with good reason. Because reducing personal car use holds the potential to reduce the negative impacts of transport and unlock our urban spaces. From air pollution to traffic accidents and the vast amounts of space used for parking and new roads which, instead, could be given back to the people who actually live in our towns and villages. 

But, to achieve this, we need political maturity and consensus.

Across the globe, countries and cities have gone on to reap the benefits of truly liveable urban spaces after making difficult policy decisions. 

It can work here too.

This opinion piece by eCabs Malta CEO Dr Andrew Bezzina was published in The Times of Malta.

eCabs extends partnership with L-Istrina

eCabs extends partnership with L-Istrina

eCabs and its sister company Fastdrop announced a logistical partnership with L-Istrina, the annual 12-hour telethon dedicated to raising vital funds for the Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation.

Building on a longstanding commitment to the charitable cause, eCabs said it will this year provide 20 vehicles and 20 professional chauffeurs from noon until the annual telethon closes at midnight.

These vehicles will carry L-Istrina personnel tasked with collecting pledges of financial donations from businesses and individuals all across the island.

Several of the vehicles being used form part of the Fastdrop fleet – eCabs’ sister company specialised in delivery.

Meanwhile, a dedicated team of eCabs logistics experts will also embed with the state IT agency MITA to coordinate routes.

eCabs Malta Chief Executive Officer Andrew Bezzina said that while eCabs has been a long standing supporter of L-Istrina, the company now considers itself an active partner in the event.

“eCabs is a Maltese company, set up to serve the Maltese community. That is why we are thrilled to support L-Istrina every year – a national effort which touches the lives of so many,” Bezzina said.

Fastdrop Chief Executive Officer Greta Borg said the company was pleased to be supporting L-Istrina, as well as providing pro bono logistical support for several other charitable initiatives, including migrant respite organisation MOAS, and Fondazzjoni Sebħ which works with women survivors of violence.

Fastdrop is a last-mile parcel delivery service and forms part of the eCabs group of companies.

Beyond the 12-hour telethon on Boxing Day, eCabs and Fastdrop will also be extending their support for L-Istrina throughout the week, providing crucial logistical assistance in the collection of funds pledged during and after the event.

John Huber, Chairman of the Administrative Board of The Malta Community Chest Fund which organises L-Istrina thanked eCabs and Fastdrop for their commitment.

“It is thanks to the collective efforts of companies like eCabs and FastDrop that we hope to make this year’s edition of L-Istrina another success and I encourage everyone to contribute whatever they can to this initiative,” he said.

L-Istrina, an annual tradition since 1995, serves as a beacon of hope for individuals requiring rare or expensive medical treatment or care.

The funds raised through this telethon empower the Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation to make a positive difference in the lives of countless people in the community.

In the press:

The Times of Malta | Lovin Malta

It’s time to revisit splitting up Transport Malta

It’s time to revisit splitting up Transport Malta

For as long as anyone can remember, traffic in Malta has been a problem.

We’ve invested in wardens and road inspectors. We’ve drafted countless policy documents, and invested millions of Euros to subsidise public transport and build new roads. But we are still stuck.

That’s because to unclog our roads, we first need to disentangle Transport Malta.

Hiving off land transport from Transport Malta and setting up a new dedicated roads regulator would be a significant step towards tackling one of the biggest obstacles the country faces today: traffic.

The idea isn’t farfetched.

In fact, it was already put forward by the government five years ago.

In 2018, then transport minister Ian Borg announced plans to split TM into three separate sea, land, and air regulators. Promising greater focus and efficiency.

Chief Justice Emeritus Joseph Azzopardi had even been appointed to chair a committee of experts that was tasked with managing this three-way split.

A full political cycle later and little has been heard about this. It would seem the plug was quietly pulled.

To be fair, transport policymakers face a nightmarish scenario.

Thickening population density, insufficient infrastructure, and disappointing uptake of transport alternatives.

All of which push people to stick with their private car, adding more and more vehicles to an overstretched network.

Diluted focus and compromised effectiveness

But the question remains. If cities and dense urban areas across the globe have cultivated functional transport systems, why can’t we?

While a lot rests on us as individual drivers of change, Transport Malta also plays a central role in all of this.

There are compelling arguments for unravelling the intricate web of transport regulation and establishing an independent road transport authority that can prioritise, specialise, and catalyse Malta’s land transport system to its fullest potential.

This is not to say that the maritime and aviation sectors do not deserve dedicated attention. They are important economic sectors within themselves.

But though there is an argument that shore-to-shore ferries play a role in Malta’s land transport mix, there is no reason why these two sectors should not also have their regulatory reference point that is separate from road transport.

A dedicated land transport authority

It is also worth pointing out that since its inception, Transport Malta has never had a chief executive who is an expert in land transport.

Instead, it has always been headed by someone from the maritime sector. With the brief exception of one CEO from the aviation sector.

A dedicated land transport authority would not only navigate the maze of road safety, licensing, and traffic management but also proactively address the evolving needs of public transportation, emerging tech solutions, and infrastructure development.

It would also allow for greater synergy with Infrastructure Malta, the roadworks agency with which it needs to work hand in hand.

In summary, the one-stop-shop of land, sea and air transport has become entangled in the complex dynamics of managing diverse transport sectors.

What we’ve been left with is diluted focus and compromised effectiveness.

This is despite the hard work of some truly dedicated TM officials.

A split would untether the road transport sector, enabling streamlined decision-making, resource allocation, and policy implementation.

This newfound agility could pave the way for enhanced safety, reduced congestion, and optimised transport services.

In an era of rapid technological advancements, a regulator with a clear mandate and unambiguous responsibility that really gets tech is also sorely needed.

Our transport system is failing

Governments have taken these types of decisions in the recent past.

Somewhere between the 2013 and 2020 political cycles, a policy decision was taken to address Malta’s infrastructural deficit.

As the economy accelerated, the island’s population, construction, and traffic density all swelled in tandem.

In the face of this, the administration decided to dedicate hundreds of millions of euros towards upgrading the country’s crumbling road network.

At the time there was debate about the validity of this as a policy imperative.

Would freshly laid roads and flyovers actually solve traffic? Or were these projects just another vehicle for facilitating economic growth?

Now that the asphalt has set, it is clear that this infrastructural upgrade was in fact needed.

But it is also apparent that wider and smoother carriageways and new tunnels were never going to address the reasons our transport system is failing.

To do that Malta needs a regulator focused exclusively on land transport.

In the press:

Times of Malta

How eCabs registered 120% growth post-Covid

Surviving and thriving: how eCabs registered 120% growth post-Covid

In this blog eCabs Malta CEO Andrew Bezzina takes us through what spurred the company’s growth post-Covid.

The transportation industry, like many others, experienced unprecedented disruption during the global pandemic.

It was a time when roads lay empty, and the future appeared uncertain.

Yet, it is precisely during these breaks in time that businesses can find opportunities for growth and transformation.

At eCabs, we seized the moment to accelerate our investment in bridging technological gaps and doubled down on our strategy to take our first steps to internationalise our technology.

Don’t get me wrong. The complete wipe-out of the business was tough, very tough.

But in those difficult circumstances, we understood that survival meant more than simply weathering the storm – it meant adapting, evolving, and emerging stronger than before.

The result? Exceptional performance that massively surpassed that of 2019, our previous record-breaking year.

In fact, eCabs experienced a staggering 120% growth in ride volumes during the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in 2019.

This is a testament not only to our performance but also to the robustness of the ride-hailing sector in Malta, clearly mirroring the global trends in mobility.

A great resetting opportunity

Surviving difficult periods requires more than just resilience – it demands a relentless commitment to continuous improvement.

We saw a great resetting opportunity in the uncertain climate of the pandemic and decided to invest. Heavily, in technology

At eCabs, we seized the moment to accelerate our investment in bridging technological gaps and doubled down on our strategy to take our first steps to internationalise our technology.

Andrew Bezzina, CEO eCabs Malta

Between 2020 and 2022, the company invested more than €7 million in rebuilding our ride-hailing platform from scratch.

We did this with the aim of becoming the first international ride-hailing platform owned by a Maltese company.

We leveraged our platform to open up to the partner driver model and today we sit confidently aside some of the world’s leading players in the ride-hailing market.

As we keep registering month-on-month growth, our focus is now to keep repeating what led us to this milestone: continuously enhancing our product and service offerings, ensuring fast, safe, and affordable rides for our valued customers.

We do this because we really believe that ride-hailing is part of the solution to the most pressing challenges in the transport and mobility sector.

The next chapter

This year marks a turning point for eCabs as we embark on our ambition of taking our platform to new territories.

We are excited to share our knowledge and insights. After all, this is what earned us such a robust market share and is propelling our growth in Malta.

We are now seeking to enable global taxi operations to undergo the transformation they need.

Through our expertise and tech, we are providing corporates a reliable avenue for investment in diversification, and governments the tools they need to improve their transportation future.

We know what this transition is like because we’ve already been through it ourselves. 

This next step in the eCabs story would not be possible without the support of our partners, investors and exceptional tech team who, like us, believe that ride-hailing plays a key part in unlocking our urban spaces.

Looking back on the past few years I’ve learnt that the journey of eCabs is a reminder that success is not measured by the absence of challenges but by the ability to rise above them.

Adversity, it turns out, is not a roadblock – it’s a speed bump, an opportunity for growth, a chance to reinvent oneself, and a catalyst for meaningful change.

Andrew Bezzina traffic congestion

eCabs Malta CEO suggests solutions as traffic leads to students missing exams

Students are missing O’ Level exams due to the ever-growing traffic congestion on the island of Malta – and eCabs Malta CEO Andrew Bezzina has taken to social media to share some possible solutions.

Traffic congestion and roadworks continue to be a major problem for students trying to get to their exams on time.

As a father of two, it won’t be long before my kids are sitting for their O’ levels and my family will have to shuffle between work and ensuring they get to their exams.

This can be a logistical nightmare for families.

What can be done to alleviate this situation?


Here’s a suggestion: rather than having students from all over the island flood into a single examination centre, the authorities should explore carrying out Matsec exams in students’ own schools or in regional catchment areas to avoid generating more traffic.

Rather than students travel to their exam centres, the exams centres should come to them.

As a tech company, at eCabs we collect huge volumes of data on traffic flows which show that Matsec season clogs up central areas of the island.

Transport authorities could draft cycle and walking routes for students within a five-kilometre radius and even encourage public transport for students as an affordable and reliable alternative to being driven to their exams.

We believe that by working together, we can create a better and more efficient system for everyone.

Let’s work together to ensure that students have access to the education they need, without the stress of navigating through traffic.

The reason behind the traffic chaos

According to online portal Lovin Malta, it seems that most of the traffic originated from the road closure of Triq is-Salina which will be out of bounds to vehicular traffic until 15th June.

Some students and their parents reported leaving their homes at 7.30 am and still not arriving at their destination by 9.00 am, with standstill traffic being reported along the St Paul’s Bay area from 7.00 am onwards.

In the press:

Lovin Malta | Times of Malta | Malta CEOs | Malta Daily

We already know how to fix Malta’s transport nightmare

We already know how to fix Malta’s transport nightmare

eCabs Malta CEO Dr Andrew Bezzina says that we already know what decisions need to be taken to solve Malta’s transport nightmare.

Earlier this week, figures were released by the National Statistics Office which laid bare Malta’s obsession with the personal car.    

According to the number-crunchers at the NSO, there are now more than 18,000 vehicles squeezed into every square kilometre of road in Malta – the smallest and most densely populated country in the EU.

Three in every four of these, around 14,000, are passenger vehicles – which is another way of saying personal and family cars. 

Other figures published this week, this time by the University of Malta, found that despite increased awareness of global warming and the climate crisis, younger people and students are even more attached to their cars than their elders.

It is clear to see then that Malta and the Maltese are dependent on private cars as their primary means of transport and that this doesn’t seem to be changing.   

Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard all of this.

Ten years ago, an EU-wide survey found that traffic congestion is a bigger headache for the Maltese than any other European citizen.

Since then, survey after survey has shown that traffic and mobility remain horn-honkingly present in Malta’s list of top concerns.     

Throwing millions of Euros at road projects is not working

Traffic, as we all too often say, is a nightmare.

A few years ago, a policy decision was taken to start throwing millions of Euros at road projects.

This addressed the infrastructural deficit that had persisted for several years. But it was not coupled with the necessary investment in support infrastructure for alternative means of transport.

And although it was pointed out by academics and transport experts at the time that widening roads would simply invite more congestion – the policy decision to build roads had been taken and so build more roads we did.    

Today that prediction has come true and again, as a country, we today find ourselves asking the question: How can we fix our transport system?  

Earlier this month I was a guest at the Malta Sustainability Forum, where transport experts went through the gears of discussing this problem. 

And a few days earlier my brother Matthew sat on another panel of transport thinkers, this time for an event organised by Times of Malta, on the same subject. 

Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia was also on that panel. 

He had the unenviable role of being expected to say what he is going to do to curtail private car use in front of a packed audience that included representatives of some of the island’s major car importers. 

Farrugia’s response? He is meeting stakeholders to update policy documents and decide what decisions need to be taken. 

We already know the solution to Malta’s transport nightmare

The truth is however that we already know what decisions need to be taken.

They are clearly defined in transport policy documents that have already been published.

In 2016 the National Transport Strategy for 2050 and Draft National Transport Plan 2025 were put out for public consultation.

The goal, the 2050 strategy says, is to “reduce congestion through the increased use of other transportation modes”.

The document goes on to say that to do this we must “increase societal awareness on the need for sustainable travel choices”.

Can multi-modality fix our transport nightmare?  

The solution this policy document is proposing is a concept known as multi-modality. As the name implies, the use of multiple modes of transport to get to your daily destinations.

It’s the belief that moving away from dependence on the private car by providing other reliable ways of getting from A to B can decongest our clogged urban spaces and make them better places to live.

This is a goal eCabs shares with cities around the world, and with good reason: Because reducing personal car use holds the potential to reduce the negative impacts of transport and unlock our urban spaces.

From air pollution to traffic accidents, and the vast amounts of space used for parking and new roads which instead could be used for gardens, parks, and wide-open walkways. 

To achieve this, we need policymakers to stop rewriting policy documents, which have already been written, and start implementing their recommendations. 

Changing the way we think about travel

This kind of change, however, doesn’t happen in a vacuum.

We also need to change the way we think about travel on a personal level.

Integrating walking, cycling, ferries, scooters, buses, and yes, ride-hailing too, into our travel routines is the solution.

Ride-hailing is part of this solution. One car shared by 20 people in a day is 20 cars off the road.

Operating a fleet of ride-hailing vehicles and developing the tech that supports thousands of partner drivers in Malta and beyond has given me a unique point of view on embracing this shift.  

Across the globe countries and cities that have embraced multi-modality have gone on to reap the benefits of truly livable urban spaces. 

It can work here too. 

In the Press:

The Times of Malta | Lovin’ Malta

eCabs in record start to 2022

eCabs in record start to 2022

Maltese ride-hailing company eCabs has seen customer journeys during the first three months of 2022 grow by more than 50 per cent, compared to the same period in 2019, which is its best performing year to date. As the company gears up to expand internationally, Malta Today spoke with Dr Andrew Bezzina, CEO at eCabs’ Malta operation about how the ride-hailing company achieved this success and what the future holds.

“It’s easy to forget that just last January tens of thousands of people were in quarantine. Tourism and nightlife, our two main segments, were at a standstill compared to forecasts. To have emerged from such a poor start to year so strongly is a fantastic result and a testament to the quality and efficiency of the service we deliver,” says Dr Bezzina, reflecting on the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the business.

“Of course, we had already started to see a recovery in our business in the summer of 2021 when restrictions were first eased. But, the Omicron variant and, I must say, overly cautious decisions from various governments which heavily impacted travel, put a stop to that. Thankfully, things are looking a lot better now. In fact, the bounce back from the omicron variant is much swifter than initially anticipated and ride volumes in the first three months of the year are up more than 50 percent from those registered in the first quarter of our record year in 2019.”

Swift growth in customer journeys in 2022

When analysing the swift growth in customer journeys registered this year, Dr Bezzina highlights the increase in travel as a key factor. “With the airport once again becoming a popular pick-up and drop-off point again and an uptick in demand for longer rides, the average price per ride is also increasing steadily. This is paving the way for healthier EBIDTA margins”, he says, before adding that, “The return to working from the office and a generally more positive atmosphere is encouraging people to go out more, especially in the evenings. The further easing of restrictions announced this week is welcome as it will certainly further strengthen consumer confidence and further support the recovery in tourism.”

The current positive outlook would not have materialised had it not been for several key decisions taken at the height of the pandemic, many of which are proving their worth up to this day. “eCabs has always been a financially prudent business but the impact of the pandemic made us even more focused on taking a responsible approach to our business and operational decisions in swift fashion, and pushed us to continue fine tuning our operating costs,” explains Dr Bezzina. “A leaner and more dynamic operating model is certainly helping us to cope with inflation and the supply chain challenges that are now affecting Malta and the global economy.”

From a ride-hailing business to a technology platform

Aside from improvements in efficiency, a major focus for eCabs in recent months has been its technology company, Cuorium Technologies. “Becoming an international player in the mobility space means eCabs must continue its transformation from a Maltese ride-hailing business, to a technology platform deployed in various territories, serving customers and fleets anywhere in the world. We have invested heavily in this area over the past two years and the results we are seeing in Malta, with its complex infrastructure and demanding customers, prove that both our technology and our business model work,” says Dr Bezzina.

eCabs 2022 tech

Cuorium Technologies is, in fact, at the heart of eCabs’ plans for growth. “Our experience in Malta confirms that this technology can be taken into any market and we’re now working hard to raise the funding we need to move into carefully selected international markets. Whilst the interest has been extremely positive from various corners of the world, strategy leads our decisions.”

Partner Drivers

“2022 has started very well for eCabs and the outlook for our Malta operations is very positive. On this basis we have set ourselves the ambitious target of doubling the number of journeys we delivered in 2019. This, inevitably, means that we need to attract as many partner drivers as we can. We already have more than 1,400 partner drivers in Malta using our platform and will continue doing all we can to offer the best possible working conditions. Our engagement with drivers is also key to reducing the carbon footprint of our business as we work towards fulfilling our commitment to have a fully electric and hybrid fleet by 2025, something which is a key strategic priority for us. This year, eCabs will also be buying 15 electric vehicles for its own fleet,” continues Dr Bezzina.

The eCabs Malta CEO concludes, “A stronger than ever post pandemic recovery remains our key priority but despite the challenges, we didn’t lose sight of our long-term strategic goal. eCabs is merging from this challenging period in the best shape ever and is ready for an exciting and prosperous future.”

In the press:

Malta Today | Business Today

eCabs restructuring

eCabs announce restructuring & appointment of new CEO for Malta operation

Matthew Bezzina to lead the internationalisation of the Company after restructuring.

Leading ride-hailing and technology company eCabs has appointed the leadership team that will be executing its growth programme both locally and internationally as the Company is preparing itself to establish operations in international markets in the next 12-24 months.

As CEO for Cuorium Technologies, eCabs Technology arm, and the leader for global operations, Matthew Bezzina will be spearheading the internationalisation efforts for eCabs technology platform. Co-founder Andrew Bezzina replaces him as CEO for the local ride-hailing operations, in a period that is registering record performance and an ever-growing team of partner drivers.

In his forecast for 2022 and beyond for the local brand, Andrew Bezzina explained how despite all the challenges, 2022 is seeing eCabs registering double-digit growth on its best performance, a clear result of the company’s investments across all its business units.

“Our technology platform is continuously growing and improving with over 1,400 partners driving on our platform locally, a number that has exponentially grown over the last 12 months and which keeps growing. Local triple-digit year-on-year growth remains an ambition we are relentlessly working towards in the forthcoming years,” he added.

Restructuring and investment in its tech platform

The last two years have also seen eCabs accelerating its investment in its technology platform, as it positions itself to launch its technology in the exciting and growing international ride-hailing industry. The pipeline of investors and potential partners in the company’s target territories for its first wave of global growth is extremely encouraging.

“Forecasts state that the European ride-hailing market is to enjoy an annual growth rate of 12.5 percent. This is worth an estimated €45 billion in 2022. By 2025, Europe forecasts a mobility market of 160 million people, which is just 20% of its total population and still predominantly using offline channels – figures that show a global industry that is still in its infancy, with substantial growth opportunities,” Matthew Bezzina said.

Whilst eCabs’ principal interest remains that of launching the brand in different territories, the company also offers white-labelled software solutions to brands in any territory. “The leadership team we have put in place is already reaping its benefits. We are better positioned to keep growing our business. Thereby making make a national success out of our home-grown efforts in the digital space” Matthew concluded.

In the press:
Malta Today | Times of Malta | Who’s Who