The number of people booking cabs ahead of time over the festive period has increased by 20 per cent compared to 2024, a local cab company’s data shows.

A spokesperson for eCabs said that, while instant bookings on the company’s ride-hailing app also increased by a similar percentage, the spike in pre-bookings was a new phenomenon.

The company added it believed that, aside from its own efforts to make its service reliable around the clock, the increase in bookings was also the result of the government’s efforts to tackle dangerous driving, particularly around the holidays.

Delving further into the data, the company said demand was spread across the entire day, with passengers opting to book a cab in the morning, afternoon, evening and into the night.

Passengers booking several cabs throughout same day

“We also have noticed a phenomenon of passengers booking several cabs throughout the same day, indicating that users are opting to leave their car at home and use alternative means of transport for the entire day.”

eCabs said it expected the trend to continue in the week leading up to New Year’s Day and that the overall pattern was not unique to Malta.

“2025 marks two years since the eCabs Technologies ride-hailing platform began powering mobility operations in several cities across Europe, Australia and beyond. Data from across the platform shows comparable increases, particularly in pre-bookings, in cities ranging from Berlin to Athens. In Australia, despite Christmas coming during their warmer months, we still saw similar activity.”

Questions regarding Christmas trends were also sent to Bolt and Uber.

Throughout December, a Transport Malta truck with a small cinema inside has been touring Malta, showing a graphic video promoting safe driving and warning of the potential consequences of driving under the influence.

The video shows a young girl singing on stage, while her parents’ seats remain empty due to a traffic accident. It includes brief depictions of blood and explores themes of loss caused by drink-driving and reckless driving.

The number of people booking cabs ahead of time over the festive period has increased by 20 per cent compared to 2024, a local cab company’s data shows.

A spokesperson for eCabs said that, while instant bookings on the company’s ride-hailing app also increased by a similar percentage, the spike in pre-bookings was a new phenomenon.

The company added it believed that, aside from its own efforts to make its service reliable around the clock, the increase in bookings was also the result of the government’s efforts to tackle dangerous driving, particularly around the holidays.

Delving further into the data, the company said demand was spread across the entire day, with passengers opting to book a cab in the morning, afternoon, evening and into the night.

Passengers booking several cabs throughout same day

“We also have noticed a phenomenon of passengers booking several cabs throughout the same day, indicating that users are opting to leave their car at home and use alternative means of transport for the entire day.”

eCabs said it expected the trend to continue in the week leading up to New Year’s Day and that the overall pattern was not unique to Malta.

“2025 marks two years since the eCabs Technologies ride-hailing platform began powering mobility operations in several cities across Europe, Australia and beyond. Data from across the platform shows comparable increases, particularly in pre-bookings, in cities ranging from Berlin to Athens. In Australia, despite Christmas coming during their warmer months, we still saw similar activity.”

Questions regarding Christmas trends were also sent to Bolt and Uber.

Throughout December, a Transport Malta truck with a small cinema inside has been touring Malta, showing a graphic video promoting safe driving and warning of the potential consequences of driving under the influence.

The video shows a young girl singing on stage, while her parents’ seats remain empty due to a traffic accident. It includes brief depictions of blood and explores themes of loss caused by drink-driving and reckless driving.