Case Study
Cool
Malta
Urban
Commuting, General transportation
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."
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