Case Study

Cool

Malta

Geography

Urban

Use Case

Commuting, General transportation

Fleet

47 vehicles

1.3+

million vehicle km saved

340,000

fewer kg of CO2 emissions

40%

of rides are shared

Overview

Being a small island in the Mediterranean doesn’t mean Malta has escaped the congestion issues big cities face. Malta is among the most congested countries in Europe, with one of the highest rates of cars per capita, according to European Union Statistics — this has also resulted in insufficient parking infrastructure. The country has a public bus network that is highly underutilized and an offering of ridehail services that are too expensive for residents to use on an everyday basis.

Solution

Always focused on innovation, the Debono Group partnered with Via to launch an on-demand shared service that could encourage residents to drop their private vehicles. Cool launched in summer of 2019 in a restricted area in Malta during certain hours of the day, focused mainly on frequent commuters. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Debono Group and Via adapted the service in just two days to cover the entire country, providing service 24/7, introducing new safety measures such as acrylic dividers between seats, and enabling essential grocery deliveries following safety and social distancing protocols. In an effort to continue encouraging shared rides, Cool partnered with more than 20 businesses to offer rides to their employees through the Via for Business platform — a third party booking solution that provides an affordable and convenient alternative to commuting by private car.

“

I welcome this initiative as one of the sustainable transportation options, which will contribute to reducing traffic on roads."

Dr. Ian Borg

—

Minister of Transport

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