MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD) g S.L.65.20 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 65.20
MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD) 
REGULATIONS
1st May, 2004
LEGAL NOTICE 160 of 2003.
ARRANGEMENT OF REGULATIONS
Regulations
Part I Preliminary 1 - 4
Part II  Admission to the Occupation of Road Passenger Transport
Operator 5 - 12
Part III  Social Measures 13 - 24
General Provisions 13
International Carriage of Passengers 14 - 24
Part IV Market Access 25 - 49
Access to the National Market 25
Access to the International Market 26 - 40
Access to the Market in Other Countries 41
Access to the National Market by Non-resident Carriers
established in Agreement States (Cabotage) 42 - 49
Part V  Inspections 50 - 54
SCHEDULES
First Schedule Part 1 - Carrier trading as sole trader/partnership – Accountant’s Report
Part 2 - Carrier trading as a limited liability company – Accountant’s
Report
Second Schedule Part 1 - Certificate of professional competence
Part 2 - List of subjects referred to in regulation 9 - Organisation of the
examination
Third Schedule Minimum training necessary for the award of a certificate of professional
competence for international drivers in the carriage of passengers
Fourth Schedule Community licence
Fifth Schedule Authorisations for regular and special regular services
Sixth Schedule Application for authorisation for regular services
Seventh Schedule Journey form for occasional services
General provisions common to international occasional services and
occasional services in the form of cabotage
Provisions specific to international occasional services
Provisions specific to occasional services in the form of cabotage
Eighth Schedule Certificates for own account transport services
2 g S.L.65.20 MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD)
PART I
PRELIMINARY
Title. 1. The title of these regulations is the Motor Vehicles
(Carriage of Passengers by Road) Regulations.
Interpretation. 2. For the purpose of these regulations and unless the context
otherwise requires:
''agreement'' means an agreement between groups of states, to
which Malta is a party, reciprocally granting to citizens of such
states or their dependants the right to enter, remain and reside in
and leave the country of such state, to move freely within such
states for such a period as may be established in the agreement and
to work or establish, provide or receive services therein; and
''Agreement State'' and ''citizen of an Agreement State'' shall be
construed accordingly; and where a state is a party to such an
agreement subject to modifications and adaptations a citizen of an
Agreement State shall be subject to such modifications or
adaptations as may be prescribed;
''authorisation'' means any permission given by the Authority or
the competent authorities in Agreement States entitling the holder
to carry out road passenger transport operations;
''authorised inspecting officer'' means an officer appointed by the
Authority to carry out inspections under these regulations, an
officer of the Customs Department, or a Police Officer;
Cap. 332.
''Authority'' means the Malta Transport Authority as established
by the Malta Transport Authority Act;
''cabotage'' means the carrying out of national passenger
transport services for hire or reward, by a non-resident carrier
within the territory of a country other than that in which he is
resident or registered to carry out such operations for a temporary
period;
''carrier'' means a person or undertaking who carries out road
passenger transport operations whether for profit or otherwise;
''Community authorisation'' means an authorisation obtained by
an undertaking established in an Agreement State from the
competent authority in that State, or an authorisation issued by the
Authority permitting the holder to carry out carriage operations in
the Agreement States;
''country of establishment'' means that country in which the non-
resident carrier is established and registered;
''daily driving period'' means the driving period between any two
daily rest periods or between a daily rest period and a weekly rest
period;
S.L. 65.18
''driver'' means any person who drives the vehicle even for a
short period, or who is carried in the vehicle in order to be available
for driving if necessary and is duly licensed in accordance with the
Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations;
''hire or reward'' means the carriage of passengers other than on
own account, that is to say against payment by the person
MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD) g S.L.65.20 3
transported or by the transport organiser;
''night time'' shall mean the period between the hours of 00:00
and 07:00;
''night work'' shall mean any work performed during night time;
''normal residence'' means the place where a person habitually
lives, for at least 185 days in each calendar year, because of
personal and occupational ties, or, in the case of a person with no
occupational ties, because of personal ties which show close links
between that person and the place where he is living; provided that,
the normal residence of a person whose occupational ties are in a
different place from his personal ties and who consequently lives in
turn in different places situated in two or more Agreement States
shall be regarded as being the place of his personal ties, provided
that such person returns there regularly; this last condition need not
be met where the person is living in an Agreement State in order to
carry out a task of a definite duration; attendance at a university or
school shall not imply taking up of normal residence;
''occasional services'' in the context of international carriage of
passengers by road means services which do not fall within the
definition of regular services, including special regular services,
and whose main characteristic is that they carry groups constituted
on the initiative of a customer or of the carrier himself; these
services shall not cease to be occasional services solely because
they are provided at specified intervals;
''occupation of road passenger transport operator'' shall mean the
activity of any undertaking operating, by means of motor vehicles
so constructed and equipped as to be suitable for carrying more
than nine persons - including the driver - and intended for that
purpose, passenger transport services for the public or for specific
categories of users for hire or reward;
''passenger transport operator’s licence'' means a licence issued
by the Authority to national carriers;
''own account transport operations'' means those passenger
transport operations carried out for non commercial and non-profit-
making purposes by a natural or a legal person, provided that the
following conditions are fulfilled:
- the transport activity is only ancillary to the overall
activities of the undertaking; and
- the vehicles used are the property of that natural or
legal person or have been obtained on deferred terms
by them or have been the subject of a long-term
leasing contract and are driven by a member of the
staff of the natural or legal person or by the natural
person himself;
''passenger transport vehicles'' means motor vehicles which, by
virtue of their type of construction and equipment, are suitable for
carrying more than eight passengers and one driver, and are
intended for that purpose;
4 g S.L.65.20 MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD)
S.L. 65.18
''public highway'' means national, arterial, distributory, access
and local access roads as defined in the Motor Vehicles (Driving
Licences) Regulations, or comparable roads in other states;
''regular services'' shall refer to carriage of passengers by
passenger transport vehicles at specified intervals along specified
routes, passengers boarding and disembarking at predetermined
stopping points;
''rest'' means any uninterrupted period of at least one hour during
which the driver may freely dispose of his time;
Cap. 16.
''self-employed driver'' shall mean anyone whose main
occupation is to transport passengers or goods by road for hire or
reward, who is entitled to work for himself and who is not subject
to an employment contract or any contract of works as defined in
article 1633 of the Civil Code;
''special regular services'' means regular services which provide
for the carriage of specified categories of passengers, to the
exclusion of other passengers, at specified intervals along specified
routes, passengers boarding and disembarking at predetermined
stopping points. They shall include  inter alia :
( a ) the carriage of workers between home and work;
( b ) carriage to and from an educational institution for
school pupils and students;
( c ) the carriage of soldiers and their families between
their homes and the area of their barracks;
''undertaking'' means any natural person, any legal person,
whether profit-making or not, any association or group of persons
without legal personality, whether profit-making or not, or any
official body, whether having its own legal personality or being
dependent upon an authority having such personality;
''valid'' shall be associated with any legitimate licence as issued
by the competent authority, and to mean that such a licence is in
effect and current for the period stated on the licence by virtue of
the licence holder having met and continues to meet fully the
obligations in accordance with these regulations;
''week'' means the period between the hours of 00:00 on Monday
and 24.00 on the following Sunday.
Present regulations 
to prevail.
S.L. 65.11
3. If anything contained in these regulations is inconsistent or
in conflict with the Motor Vehicles Regulations, and amendments
thereof, the present regulations shall prevail, and to the extent of
these inconsistencies or conflicts the Motor Vehicles Regulations,
shall be deemed to be null and void.
Professional 
secrecy.
Cap. 377.
4 . Any information given to the Authority in pursuance of
these regulations shall be covered by the Professional Secrecy Act.
PART II
ADMISSION TO THE OCCUPATION OF ROAD PASSENGER 
TRANSPORT OPERATOR
Authorisation. 5. (1) No person shall engage in the occupation of passenger
MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD) g S.L.65.20 5
transport operator for hire or reward unless duly authorised. The
Authority shall issue a passenger transport operator’s licence to any
undertaking that proposes to use passenger transport vehicles and
satisfies the conditions of these regulations and other requirements
which the Authority may establish.
(2) A passenger transport operator’s licence shall be issued in
the name of a natural person authorised to represent the
undertaking.
Requirements to 
engage in the 
occupation of road 
passenger transport 
operator.
6. (1) A person wishing to engage in the occupation of road
passenger transport operator as set out in these regulations, shall:
( a ) be of good repute and conduct;
( b ) be of appropriate financial standing;
( c ) satisfy the condition as to professional competence.
(2) Where the applicant is a natural person and cannot satisfy
the requirement in subregulation (1)( c ), but satisfies subregulation
(1)( a ) and ( b ), the Authority may nevertheless permit that person to
engage in the occupation of a road passenger transport operator
provided that he designates to the Authority a person who can
satisfy subregulation (1)( a ) and ( c ), on condition that the applicant
shall continuously and effectively manage the road passenger
transport operation in accordance with these regulations.
(3) Where the application is made by an undertaking that can
satisfy the requirement in subregulation (1)( b ), the requirements in
subregulation (1)( a ) and ( c ) must be satisfied by a natural person so
designated to the Authority who will continuously and effectively
manage the road passenger transport operation in accordance with
these regulations.
Good repute and 
good conduct.
7. A person shall not be deemed to satisfy the condition of
good repute and conduct if he:
( a ) has been convicted during the last five years of serious
criminal offences of a crime carrying a conviction of a
term of imprisonment of, or exceeding three months or
a fine of at least two hundred liri; or of two or more
crimes connected with violence;
( b ) has been found guilty during the last two years of any
crime carrying a conviction for an offence concerning
the use of any motor vehicle;
( c ) has been declared unfit to pursue the occupation of
road passenger transport operator under any rules in
force;
( d ) has been convicted of serious, repeated offences
against rules in force concerning:
(i) the pay and employment conditions in the
profession or,
(ii) road transport, in particular the rules relating to
driving, the weights and dimensions and
carrying capacity of vehicles, road or vehicle
safety or damage to the environment;
6 g S.L.65.20 MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD)
( e ) any corresponding offence under any law of a country
or territory outside Malta:
Provided that the applicant was less than 18 years of age at
the time of such a conviction in paragraphs ( a ) and ( b ) the periods
referred to shall be respectively two years and one year.
Appropriate 
financial standing.
8. (1) Appropriate financial standing of the undertaking shall
consist in having available sufficient resources to ensure proper
launching and proper administration thereafter of the undertaking.
(2) For the purposes of assessing financial standing, the
Authority shall have regard to the type of operation(s) and:
( a ) annual accounts of the undertaking, if any;
( b ) funds available, including cash at bank, overdraft and
loan facilities;
( c ) any assets, including property, which are available to
provide full or partial security for the undertaking;
( d ) costs, including purchase cost or initial payment for
vehicles, premises, plant and equipment, and working
capital.
(3) An applicant for, or holder of an authorisation issued under
regulation 5 shall not be considered to be of appropriate financial
standing unless he has available to him capital and reserves of an
amount equal to or exceeding the aggregate of:
(i) Lm 3,600 for the first or only vehicle which is to
be authorised under the licence; and 
(ii) Lm 2,000 for each additional vehicle which is to
be authorised.
(4) For the purpose of regulation 6, the Authority may accept
as evidence of financial standing confirmation or assurance given
by a bank or other suitably qualified financial establishment in the
format indicated in the First Schedule. Such confirmation may be
given in the form of a bank guarantee, a pledge or security, or by
any other means acceptable to the Authority.
Professional 
competence.
9. The conditions relating to professional competence shall be
satisfied if the applicant demonstrates that he possesses the
requisite skills by passing a written and/or oral examination,
corresponding to the level of training for either the national or
international operations as the case may be, organised by an
approved body and is the holder of a certificate to that effect issued
by that body. Such certificate, in the format indicated in the Second
Schedule shall serve as proof of professional competence.
Exemptions. 10. (1) The Authority may exempt from examination, or part
thereof, applicants who can provide proof of at least five years’
practical experience in the management of a road passenger
transport undertaking.
(2) The Authority may exempt from examination, or part
thereof, holders of certain diplomas or technical diplomas
equivalent, which provide proof of a sound knowledge of the
subjects covered in the relevant national and international syllabi.
MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD) g S.L.65.20 7
Holders of a certificate of professional competence issued by other
Agreement States may be required by the Authority to take further
tests if the subjects covered therein do not correspond to the
requirements in Malta.
(3) Individuals or undertakings furnishing proof to the
Authority that they were authorised under Maltese rules to engage
in the profession of national and/or international road passenger
transport operator, on or before 1 January 1997, shall be deemed to
satisfy the requirements of regulation 6(1)( b ) and ( c ). The
requirement of regulation 6(1)( a ) shall be met by all applicants,
proof of which shall be submitted to the Authority at the time of
application.
Checks on 
compliance.
11. (1) The Authority shall require the carrier to submit
evidence at least every five years or at the Authority’s discretion
that he continues to fulfil the requirements of regulation 6(1).
(2) The Authority may withdraw a licence on the following
grounds:
( a ) where the holder no longer satisfies the conditions laid
down in regulation 6(1); or
( b ) where the holder has supplied incorrect information to
the Authority in relation to the issue or renewal of the
licence; or
( c ) where the holder has breached any of the conditions of
the licence and has not remedied such breach in spite
of his having been given written notice of the breach
and a reasonable time in which to do so.
Cap. 332.
(3) In the event of serious infringements of these regulations,
the Authority may suspend or revoke the licence. Such suspension
or revocation shall be imposed having regard to the seriousness of
the infringement and shall be subject to appeal before an appeals
board to be set up according to the provisions of the Malta
Transport Authority Act.
(4) Where offences against the rules governing road passenger
transport have been committed by a non-resident carrier and might
lead to withdrawal of the passenger transport operator’s licence, the
Authority shall provide the Agreement State in which the carrier is
established with all the information in its possession concerning
those offences and the penalties imposed.
Death or other 
incapacity.
12. In the event of the death or physical or legal incapacity of
the natural person engaged in the profession of road passenger
transport operator or of the natural person who satisfies the
requirements of regulation 6(1), the Authority may permit the
carrying on of the business of a road passenger transport operator
on a temporary basis for a maximum period of one year, with
extension for a maximum period of six months. The Authority may,
by way of exception and in certain special cases, definitively
authorise a person not fulfilling the requirement of professional
competence referred to in regulation 9 to operate the undertaking
provided that such person possesses at least three years’ practical
experience in the day-to-day management of the undertaking.
8 g S.L.65.20 MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD)
PART III
SOCIAL MEASURES
General Provisions
Minimum ages of 
drivers.
S.L. 65.18
13. The minimum age for drivers engaged in the carriage of
passengers by road shall be as specified in the Motor Vehicles
(Driving Licences) Regulations.
International carriage of passengers
International 
carriage.
14. Regulations 15 to 24 shall only apply to international
carriage of passengers by road.
Minimum level of 
training.
15. (1) ( a ) The minimum level of training for drivers to engage in
the international carriage of passengers by road shall
consist of a course covering the subjects provided in
the Third Schedule.
( b ) Upon completion of such course the Authority shall
issue a certificate of professional competence.
S.L. 65.18
( c ) Such certificate shall be valid for the exercise of the
road passenger transport profession only if the holder
has also obtained a national driving licence for
vehicles intended for the carriage of passengers by
road under the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences)
Regulations.
(2) The programme and organisation of the course of
vocational training referred to in subregulation (1) shall be laid
down by the Authority. Proof that this training has been completed
shall be furnished by means of an examination or a check carried
out by the Authority.
Certificate of 
professional 
competence
16. (1) The Authority shall issue a certificate of professional
competence to drivers who meet the requirements laid down in
regulation 15.
(2) Rights acquired pursuant to regulation 15 prior to the entry
into force of these regulations shall remain valid in the same way as
certificates issued pursuant to these regulations.
Applicability of 
AETR.
17. The European Agreement concerning the Work of Crews of
Vehicles engaged in International Road Transport (AETR) shall
apply instead of these regulations to international road passenger
transport operations:
( a ) between Malta and countries that are Contracting
Parties to the AETR, or in transit through such
countries, for the whole of the journey where such
operations are carried out by vehicles registered in
Malta, a Contracting Party to the AETR or in one of
the said third countries;
( b ) between Malta and a country which is not a
Contracting Party to the AETR in the case of any
journey made within Agreement States or between
Malta and an Agreement State where such operations
are carried out by vehicles registered in one of those
MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD) g S.L.65.20 9
countries.
Conditions for 
drivers engaged in 
international 
carriage of 
passengers by 
road.
18. (1) Any driver engaged in the international carriage of
passengers shall have reached the age of 21 years.
(2) Any driver engaged in the international carriage of
passengers must also fulfil one of the following conditions:
( a ) he must have worked for at least one year in the
carriage of goods as a driver of vehicles with a
permissible maximum weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes;
( b ) he must have worked for at least one year as a driver of
vehicles used to provide passenger services on
journeys in Malta, or other types of passenger services
not governed by these regulations, provided the
Authority considers that he has by so doing acquired
the necessary experience;
( c ) he must hold a driver’s certificate of professional
competence in Malta or an equivalent certificate
recognised by an Agreement State confirming that he
has completed a training course for drivers of vehicles
intended for the carriage of passengers by road, which
course is in conformity with the Third Schedule.
Daily driving 
period.
19. (1) ( a ) The daily driving period shall not exceed nine hours. It
may be extended twice in any one week to 10 hours.
( b ) A driver must, after no more than six daily driving
periods, take a weekly rest period as defined in
regulation 21(3).
( c ) The weekly rest period may be postponed until the end
of the twelfth day if the total driving time over the
twelve days does not exceed the maximum
corresponding to twelve daily driving periods.
(2) The total period of driving in any period of two consecutive
weeks shall not exceed 90 hours.
Breaks.
observe a break of at least 45 minutes, unless he begins a rest
period.
(2) This break may be replaced by breaks of at least 15 minutes
each distributed over the driving period or immediately after this
period in such a way as to comply with the provisions of
subregulation (1).
(3) During these breaks, the driver may not carry out any other
work. For the purposes of this section, the waiting time and time
not devoted to driving spent in a vehicle in motion, a ferry, or a
train shall not be regarded as ''other work''.
(4) The breaks observed under this regulation may not be
regarded as daily rest periods.
Daily rest period.
rest period of at least 11 consecutive hours, which may
be reduced to a minimum of nine consecutive hours not
more than three times in any one week, on condition
10 g S.L.65.20 MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD)
that an equivalent period of rest is granted as
compensation before the end of the following week.
( b ) On days when the rest is not reduced in accordance
with paragraph ( a ), it may be taken in two or three
separate periods during the 24 hour period, one of
which must be of at least eight consecutive hours. In
this case the minimum length of the rest shall be
increased to 12 hours.
(2) During each period of 30 hours when a vehicle is manned
by at least two drivers, each driver shall have a rest period of not
less than eight consecutive hours.
(3) In the course of each week, one of the rest periods referred
to in the preceding subregulations shall be extended, by way of
weekly rest, to a total of 45 consecutive hours. This rest period may
be reduced to a minimum of 36 consecutive hours if taken at the
place where the vehicle is normally based or where the driver is
based, or to a minimum of 24 consecutive hours if taken elsewhere.
Each reduction shall be compensated by an equivalent rest taken  en
bloc  before the end of the third week following the week in
question.
(4) A weekly rest period which begins in one week and
continues into the following week may be attached to either of
these weeks.
(5) Any rest taken as compensation for the reduction of the
daily and, or weekly rest periods must be attached to another rest of
at least eight hours and shall be granted, at the request of the person
concerned, at the vehicle’s parking place or driver’s base.
(6) The daily rest period may be taken in a vehicle, as long as
the vehicle is fitted with a bunk and is stationary.
Interruption of 
daily rest period.
22. (1) Notwithstanding regulation 21(1), where a driver
engaged in the carriage of passengers accompanies a vehicle which
is transported by ferryboat or train, the daily rest period may be
interrupted once only, provided the following conditions are
fulfilled:
- that part of the daily rest period spent on land must be
able to be taken before or after the portion of the daily
rest period taken on board the ferryboat or the train,
- the period between the two portions of the daily rest
period must be as short as possible and may on no
account exceed one hour before embarkation or after
disembarkation, customs formalities being included in
the embarkation or disembarkation operations,
- during both portions of the rest period the driver must
be able to have access to a bunk or couchette.
(2) The daily rest period, interrupted in this way, shall be
increased by two hours.
Payments to wage-
earning drivers.
23. Payments to wage-earning drivers, even in the form of
bonuses or wage supplements, related to distances travelled and, or
MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD) g S.L.65.20 11
the amount of passengers carried shall constitute an offence under
these regulations, unless these payments are of such a kind as not to
endanger road safety:
Provided that road safety is not thereby jeopardised and to
enable him to reach a suitable stopping place, the driver may depart
from the provisions of these regulations to the extent necessary to
ensure the safety of persons, of the vehicle or of its load. The driver
shall indicate the nature of, and reason for his departure from these
provisions on the record sheet of the recording equipment or in his
duty roster.
Undertakings to 
organise drivers’ 
work.
24. (1) The undertaking shall organise drivers’ work in such a
way that drivers are able to comply with the relevant provisions of
these regulations and any other relevant legislation.
(2) The undertaking shall make periodic checks to ensure that
all legal requirements have been complied with. If breaches are
found to have occurred, the undertaking shall take appropriate steps
to prevent their repetition.
PART IV
MARKET ACCESS
Access to the National Market
Passenger transport 
operator’s licence.
25. (1) In order to carry out national passenger transport
operations using passenger transport vehicles on a permanent basis,
any undertaking must possess a passenger transport operator’s
licence provided for in regulation 5.
(2)  The Authority shall provide the holder with a certified true
copy of the passenger transport operator’s licence for every vehicle
for which it is to be used.
(3) The vehicles for which the passenger transport operator’s
licence is being used shall be at the exclusive disposal of the holder
when hired, and must be driven by employees of the holder or the
holder himself.
(4) The Authority shall lay down such other rules as necessary
governing the requirements of national passenger transport
operations and market access.
Access to the International Market
Community 
licence.
26. (1) The Authority shall issue a Community licence in
accordance with the model set out in the Fourth Schedule to any
passenger transport operator fulfilling the following conditions:
( a ) he holds a passenger transport operator’s licence
issued under regulation 5;
( b ) he satisfies the conditions laid down in accordance
with rules in Agreement States on admission to the
occupation of road passenger transport operator in
national and international transport operations in
accordance with regulation 6;
( c ) meets legal requirements on road safety as far as the
12 g S.L.65.20 MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD)
standards for drivers and vehicles are concerned.
(2) In order to carry out international passenger transport
operations using passenger transport vehicles between Malta and
Agreement States for hire or reward or on own account, any carrier
satisfying the criteria laid down in subregulation (1) must hold a
Community licence issued by the competent authority of the
Agreement State of establishment in accordance with the model set
out in the Fourth Schedule.
(3) The Authority shall issue the holder with the original of the
Community licence, which shall be kept by the carrier, and the
number of certified true copies corresponding to the number of
vehicles used for the international carriage of passengers at the
disposal of the holder of the Community licence, either in full
ownership, or in another form, notably by virtue of an instalment-
purchase contract, a hire contract or a leasing contract.
(4) The Community licence shall be issued in the name of the
carrier and shall be non-transferable. A certified true copy of the
Community licence shall be carried on the vehicle and shall be
presented at the request of any authorised inspecting officer.
(5) The Community licence shall be issued for a period of five
years and shall be renewable.
(6) The Community licence shall replace the document issued
by the Authority certifying that the carrier has access to the market
for the international carriage of passengers by road.
(7) When an application for a licence is submitted, and at least
every five years thereafter, the Authority shall verify whether the
carrier satisfies or continues to satisfy the conditions laid down in
subregulation (1).
(8) Where the conditions referred to in subregulation (1) are
not satisfied, the Authority shall refuse to issue or renew a
Community licence by means of a reasoned decision.
(9) A Community licence shall also be valid for national
transport operations.
(10) Each vehicle carrying out a service subject to authorisation
shall have on board a passenger transport operator’s licence or a
copy certified by the issuing authority or agency.
Withdrawal of 
Community 
licence.
27. (1) The Authority may withdraw a Community licence on
the following grounds:
( a ) where the holder no longer satisfies the conditions laid
down in regulation 26; or
( b ) where the holder has supplied incorrect information to
the Authority in relation to the issue or renewal of the
authorisation.
(2) In the event of serious infringements of these regulations,
the Authority may  inter alia  temporarily or partially suspend the
authorisation, whether such authorisation has been issued in Malta,
an Agreement State or in any other country. Such suspension shall
be imposed having regard to:
MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD) g S.L.65.20 13
( a ) the seriousness of the infringement; and
( b ) the total number of certified copies of the
authorisation held by the holder in respect of
international traffic.
Right of appeal.
Cap. 332.
28. Any decision by the Authority in accordance with
regulation 27 shall be subject to appeal before an appeals board to
be set up according to the provisions of the Malta Transport
Authority Act.
Occasional 
services.
29. (1) Occasional services shall not require any other specific
authorisation other than a Community licence.
(2) Occasional services may be provided by a group of carriers
acting on behalf of the same contractor, and passengers may
establish a connection  en route , with a different carrier engaged by
the same contractor, in the territory of an Agreement State.
(3) The names of such carriers and the connection points  en
route  shall be communicated to the Authority upon their arrival in
Malta within 48 hours.
(4) Empty journeys by vehicles in connection with the
transport operations referred to in subregulations (1) to (3) shall not
require any authorisation.
(5) A carrier established in Malta may carry out local
excursions in an Agreement State and a carrier established in an
Agreement State may carry out such excursions in Malta. Such
services shall be intended for non-resident passengers previously
carried by the same carrier on an international occasional service
and must be carried out with the same vehicle or another vehicle
from the same carrier or group of carriers.
Special regular 
services.
30. (1) Special regular services shall not require any other
specific authorisation other than a Community licence if they are
covered by a contract concluded between the organiser and the
carrier.
(2) Any carrier for hire or reward referred to in regulation 26
shall be permitted to carry out special regular services without
discrimination as to nationality or place of establishment if the said
carrier:
- is authorised in the Agreement State of establishment
to undertake carriage by means of regular services
including special regular services or occasional
services by road passenger transport vehicles;
- satisfies the conditions laid down in accordance with
any laws and regulations in Malta or equivalent
regulations in the Agreement State of establishment
governing market access;
- satisfies the legal requirements and standards on road
safety for drivers and vehicles.
(3) Any own-account carrier shall be permitted to carry out
special regular services without discrimination as to nationality or
place of establishment if the said carrier:
14 g S.L.65.20 MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD)
- is authorized in the country of establishment to
undertake carriage by passenger transport vehicles in
accordance with any laws and regulations in force in
Malta or equivalent regulations in the Agreement State
of establishment governing market access;
- satisfies the legal requirements and standards on road
safety for drivers and vehicles.
(4) Empty journeys by vehicles in connection with the
transport operations referred to in subregulations (1) and (2) shall
not require any authorisation.
Regular services. 31. (1) Passengers using a regular service shall throughout
their journey possess transport tickets, either individual or
collective, which indicate:
- the points of departure and destination and, where
appropriate, the return journey;
- the period of validity of the ticket;
- the price of the transport.
(2) Such transport ticket shall be presented at the request of
any authorised inspecting officer.
Authorisation for 
regular and non-
liberalised special 
regular services.
32. Regular services and special regular services not covered
by a contract between the organiser and the carrier shall require
authorisation in accordance with regulations 31 to 40.
Nature of 
authorisation.
33. (1) Authorisations shall be issued in the name of the
carrier for a period of validity of five years and shall conform to the
model in the Fifth Schedule.
(2) Authorisations shall entitle the holder(s) to operate regular
services in the territories of all Agreement States over which the
routes of the service pass as well as in Malta.
(3) ( a ) A carrier who has received an authorisation may, with
the consent of the Authority, operate the service
through a sub-contractor. In this case, the name of the
latter undertaking and its role as sub-contractor shall
be indicated in the authorisation.
( b ) The sub-contractor mentioned in paragraph ( a ) must
fulfil the conditions laid down in regulation 26(1).
( c ) In the case of undertakings associated for the purpose
of operating a regular service, the authorisation shall
be issued in the names of all the undertakings.
(4) The operator of a regular service may use additional
vehicles to deal with temporary and exceptional situations. In this
case, the carrier must ensure that the following documents are
carried on such additional vehicles:
- a copy of the authorisation of the regular service,
- a copy of the contract between the carrier operating the
regular service and the undertaking providing the
additional vehicles or an equivalent document,
MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD) g S.L.65.20 15
- a certified true copy of the Community licence issued
to the carrier operating the regular service.
Submission of 
applications for 
authorisation.
34. (1) Applications for authorisation of regular services
starting in Malta shall conform to the Sixth Schedule.
Authorisation 
procedure.
(2) Authorisations shall be issued in agreement with the
authorities of all the Agreement States in whose territories
passengers board or disembark.
Lapse of 
authorisation.
35. (1) An authorisation for a regular service shall lapse at the
end of its period of validity or three months after the Authority has
received from its holder notice of his intention to withdraw the
service. Such notice must contain a proper statement of reasons.
(2) Where demand for a service has ceased to exist, the period
mentioned in subregulation (1) shall be reduced to one month.
(3) The holder of the authorisation shall notify users of the
service concerned of its withdrawal one month beforehand by
means of publication in the Gazette.
Obligation of 
carriers.
36. (1) Save in the event of  force majeure , the carrier
operating a regular service shall, until the authorisation expires,
take all measures to guarantee a transport service that fulfils
standards of continuity, regularity and capacity and complies with
the other conditions as laid down by the Authority in accordance
with regulation 30(3).
(2) The carrier shall display the route of the service, the bus
stops, the timetable, the fares and the conditions of carriage insofar
as these are not laid down by law, and in such a way as to ensure
that such information is readily available to all users.
Journey form.
covered by a journey form, the requirements of which are set out in
the Seventh Schedule.
(2) A carrier operating occasional services shall fill out a
journey form before each journey.
Own account 
transport operators.
38. (1) Own-account road passenger transport operations shall
be exempt from any system of authorisation but shall be subject to
a system of certificates.
(2) Such certificates shall be issued by the Authority when the
vehicle is registered in Malta and shall be valid for the entire
journey including transit for up to a maximum of five years. They
must conform to the model in the Eighth Schedule.
(3) The certificate or a certified true copy shall be carried on
board the vehicle and shall be presented to an authorised inspecting
officer upon demand.
Evidence of 
compliance to be 
provided.
39. Undertakings requesting a certificate shall provide the
Authority with evidence that the conditions laid down in the
definition of ''own account transport operations'' have been met.
Transitional 
provision.
40. Authorisations for services existing on the date of entry
16 g S.L.65.20 MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD)
into force of these regulations shall continue to be valid until they
expire insofar as the services in question remain subject to
authorisation.
Access to the market in other countries
Market access. 41. The Authority shall determine the conditions for market
access relating to countries with which Malta has bilateral
agreements other than Agreement States and subject to the
provisions of such agreements.
Access to the National Market by Non-Resident Carriers 
Established in Agreement States (''Cabotage'')
Temporary 
cabotage 
operations.
42. Any carrier for hire or reward who is a holder of a
Community authorisation shall be entitled, under the conditions
laid down in these regulations, to carry out cabotage operations on
a temporary basis in Malta, without having a registered office or
other establishment in Malta.
Authorised 
services.
43. (1) Cabotage transport operations shall be permitted in
Malta for the following services:
( a ) special regular services provided that they are covered
by a contract concluded between the organiser and the
carrier;
( b ) occasional services.
(2) Cabotage transport operations for regular services shall not
be authorised in Malta.
Cabotage 
operations subject 
to Maltese laws.
44. (1) The performance of the cabotage transport operations
in Malta referred to in regulation 42 shall be subject to the laws,
regulations and administrative provisions in force in Malta in
relation to the following areas:
(i) rates and conditions governing the transport
contract;
(ii) weights and dimensions of road vehicles shall
meet the conditions of the relevant regulations
regulating motor vehicles’ weights, dimensions
and equipment;
(iii) requirements relating to the carriage of certain
categories of passengers, such as schoolchildren,
children and persons with reduced mobility;
(iv) driving and rest time;
(v) VAT (value added tax) on transport services.
Licence to be 
carried on board 
the vehicle.
45. The Community licence or a certified true copy thereof
shall be kept on board the vehicle and shall be produced when
requested by an authorised inspecting officer.
Control documents 
- journey forms for 
occasional 
cabotage 
operations.
46. Cabotage transport operations in the form of occasional
services shall be covered by a control document - the journey form
as contained in the Seventh Schedule - which must be kept on board
the vehicle and be produced when requested by an authorised
inspecting officer.
Control document. 47. In the case of special regular services, the contract
MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD) g S.L.65.20 17
concluded between the carrier and the transport organizer, or a
certified true copy of the contract, shall serve as the control
document. However, the journey form shall be completed in the
form of a monthly statement.
Journey forms.
accordance with procedures it shall establish.
Penalties.
Authority may impose penalties on non-resident carriers who have
committed infringements of these regulations or of any other laws
and regulations in force in Malta on the occasion of a cabotage
transport operation.
(2) ( a ) The penalties referred to in subregulation (1) may,
inter alia , consist of a warning or, in the event of
serious or repeated infringements, a temporary ban on
cabotage transport operations within Malta, if the
infringement was committed in Malta.
( b ) Where a falsified Community licence, falsified
authorisation or falsified certified true copy thereof is
produced, the falsified document shall be withdrawn
immediately and, where appropriate, forwarded as
soon as possible to the competent authority of the
carrier’s State of establishment.
( c ) Any penalty imposed by the Authority may extend to
withdrawal of authorisation to pursue the profession of
road passenger transport operator.
(3) The Authority may also, pursuant to national law, arraign
the carrier registered in Malta concerned before a competent court
or tribunal.
PART V
INSPECTIONS
General.
on the vehicle and shall be presented at the request of any
authorised inspecting officer. In the case of the special regular
services, the contract or a certified true copy of it shall serve as a
control document.
(2) Carriers operating coaches and buses in international
passenger transport shall allow all inspections intended to ensure
that operations are being conducted correctly, in particular as
regards driving and rest periods. In order to ensure compliance with
these regulations, authorised inspecting officers shall be
empowered to:
( a ) check the books and other documentation relating to
the operation of the transport undertaking;
( b ) make copies of, or take extracts from, the books and
documentation on the premises;
( c ) have access to all the transport undertaking’s
premises, sites and vehicles;
18 g S.L.65.20 MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD)
( d ) require the production of any information contained in
books, documentation or databases.
Inspections at 
quayside or 
roadside.
51. The Authority shall check on the compliance of the
international road passenger transport operator through random
checks carried out at the quayside, roadside or at the premises of
the undertaking.
Elements of 
checks.
52. Quayside or roadside check shall cover -
( a ) daily driving periods, daily rest periods, breaks;
( b ) last weekly rest period (where appropriate);
( c ) technical requirements of the relevant regulations
regulating motor vehicles’ weights, dimensions, and
equipment;
( d ) any books or documentation relating to journey
authorisation.
Inspections at 
premises.
53. Checks shall also be carried out at premises of
international road passenger transport undertakings established in
Malta. In addition to the checks in regulation 50(2), these checks
shall include the following:
( a ) weekly rest periods and driving periods between these
rest periods,
( b ) two-weekly limitation of driving hours,
( c ) compensation for reduced daily or weekly rest periods,
( d ) the use of record sheets and/or the organization of
drivers’ working times.
Checks at the 
request of the 
Authority.
54. For the purposes laid down in these regulations, checks
carried out on the basis of relevant documents handed over by
undertakings at the request of the Authority, shall have the same
status as checks carried out at the premises of undertakings.
MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD) g S.L.65.20 19
FIRST SCHEDULE
(Regulation 8)
PART I
CARRIER TRADING AS SOLE TRADER / PARTNERSHIP 
ACCOUNTANT’S REPORT
1. We have prepared, without carrying out an audit, a statement of affairs as at
........................... (date) from the accounting records of ........................., hereinafter
referred to as ''the firm'', having its principal business address at ...............................
.......................................... and from information and explanations supplied to us.
2. In making this report we have had regard to the unaudited statement of
affairs referred to above and, in particular, to the amounts and other information
included in that statement of affairs in respect of:
i. funds available, including cash at banks and overdraft and loan
facilities;
ii. assets, including property, available to provide security;
iii. costs, including purchase cost or initial payment for vehicles,
premises, plant and equipment; and
iv. working capital.
3. We confirm that the unaudited statement of affairs of the firm at
...................... (date) shows Total Assets less Total Liabilities of Lm ............. at
................... (date) which, on the basis of the licence application for ........... vehicles
(using an exchange rate of Euros 1.00 = Lm 0.40), Lm .............. exceed Lm 3,600
for the first vehicle and Lm2,000 for each additional vehicle to be authorised for use
under the firm’s Passenger Transport Operator’s Licence.
Firm of Accountants ...............................................
Address: ...............................................................................................................
Auditor’s/Accountant's signature: ...................................................
Date: .................................................
i.e. A person qualified by virtue of the Companies Act or an Accountant
recognised by the Minister responsible for transport.
20 g S.L.65.20 MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD)
PART 2
CARRIER TRADING AS A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
ACCOUNTANT’S REPORT
1) We have audited in accordance with auditing standards the financial
statements of ................................, hereinafter referred to as ''the company'' whose
registered office is at .................................... for the year / period ended at ..............
................. (date).
2) Our audit report on those financial statements, was without qualification.
OR
Our audit report on those financial statements, which was qualified, was as
follows:
3) In making this report we have had regard to the financial statements referred
to above and, in particular, to the amounts and other information including those
financial statements, in respect of:
i. funds available, including cash at banks and overdraft and loan
facilities;
ii. assets, including property, available to provide security;
iii. costs, including purchase cost or initial payment for vehicles,
premises, plant and equipment; and
iv. working capital.
4) We confirm that the audited balance sheet of the company at .............. (date)
shows Capital and Reserves of Lm .......... which, on the basis of the licence for ........
vehicles (using an exchange rate of Euros 1.00 = Lm 0.40), Lm ................ exceed
Lm 3,600 for the first vehicle and Lm 2,000 for each additional vehicle to be
authorised for use under the company’s Passenger Transport Operator’s Licence.
Firm of Accountants ........................................
Address: ...............................................................................................................
Auditor’s/Accountant's signature: ..........................................
Date: .....................................
i.e. A person qualified by virtue of the Companies Act or an Accountant
recognised by the Minister responsible for transport.
MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD) g S.L.65.20 21
SECOND SCHEDULE
(Regulation 9)
PART 1
CERTIFICATE OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE MALTA
(Stout fawn paper - Format: DIN A4) (Text in Maltese or English)
M Malta Transport Authority
CERTIFICATE OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE IN NATIONAL
gAND INTERNATIONALh ( 1 ) ROAD
We, the Malta Transport Authority hereby certify:
( a ) that ( 2 ) .........................................................................................................
born in .................................................... on ........................................................
has passed the tests of the examination (year: .....................; session: ............. ) ( 3 )
organised for the award of the certificate of professional competence in national (and
intentional) ( 1 ) road passenger transport in accordance with the Motor Vehicles
(Carriage of Passengers by Road) Regulations.
( b ) that the person referred to in ( a ) is qualified to work in a professional
capacity in an undertaking responsible for road passenger transport:
- engaging solely in national transport ( 1 ),
- engaging in international transport ( 1 ).
Issued at ..................................., on ..................................
..................................................
Stamp of the Authority and Signature
of an Authorised Representative
( 1 ) Delete as appropriate.
( 2 ) Surname and forenames; place and date of birth.
( 3 ) Identification of the examination.
This certificate constitutes the sufficient proof of professional competence
referred to in regulation 9 of the Motor Vehicles Carriage of Passengers by Road)
Regulations
22 g S.L.65.20 MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD)
PART 2
LIST OF SUBJECTS REFERRED TO IN REGULATION 9
The knowledge to be taken into consideration for the official recognition of
professional competence by the Authority shall cover at least the subjects listed
below for road haulage and road passenger transport respectively. In relation to these
subjects, applicant road haulage and road passenger transport operators must have
the levels of knowledge and practical aptitude necessary for the management of a
transport undertaking.
A. Civil law
The applicant must, in particular:
1. be familiar with the main types of contract used in road transport and with
the rights and obligations arising therefrom;
2. be capable of negotiating a legally valid transport contract, notably with
regard to conditions of carriage;
3. be able to consider a claim by his principal regarding compensation for loss
of or damage to goods during transportation or for their late delivery, and to
understand how such a claim affects his contractual liability;
4. be able to consider a claim by his principal regarding compensation for
injury to passengers or damage to their baggage caused by an accident during
transportation, or regarding compensation for delays, and to understand how such a
claim affects his contractual liability.
B. Commercial law
The applicant must, in particular:
1. be familiar with the conditions and formalities laid down for plying the
trade, the general obligations incumbent upon transport operators (registration,
keeping records, etc.) and the consequences of bankruptcy;
2. have appropriate knowledge of the various forms of commercial company
and the rules governing their constitution and operation.
C. Social law
The applicant must, in particular:
1. be familiar with the role and function of the various social institutions which
are concerned with road transport (trade unions, works councils, shop stewards,
labour inspectors, etc.);
2. be familiar with the employers’ social security obligations;
3. be familiar with the rules governing work contracts for the various
categories of workers employed by road transport undertakings (form of the
contracts, obligations of the parties, working conditions and working hours, paid
leave, remuneration, breach of contract, etc.);
4. be familiar with the provisions of the Motor Vehicles (Carriage of
Passengers by Road) Regulations and the relevant regulations regulating motor
vehicles' weights, dimensions, and equipment and the practical arrangements for
implementing these Regulations.
D. Fiscal law
The applicant must, in particular, be familiar with the rules governing:
1. VAT on transport services;
MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD) g S.L.65.20 23
2. motor-vehicle tax;
3. the taxes on certain road haulage vehicles and tolls and infrastructure user
charges;
4. income tax.
E. Business and financial management of the undertaking
The applicant must, in particular:
1. be familiar with the laws and practices regarding the use of cheques, bills of
exchange, promissory notes, credit cards and other means or method of payment;
2. be familiar with the various forms of credit (bank credit, documentary
credit, guarantee deposits, mortgages, leasing, renting, factoring, etc.) and with the
charges and obligations arising from them;
3. know what a balance sheet is, how it is set out and how to interpret it;
4. be able to read and interpret a profit and loss account;
5. be able to assess the undertaking’s profitability and financial position, in
particular on the basis of financial ratios;
6. be able to prepare a budget;
7. be familiar with his undertaking’s cost elements (fixed costs, variable costs,
working capital, depreciation, etc.), and be able to calculate costs per vehicle, per
kilometre, per journey or per tonne;
8. be able to draw up an organisation chart relating to the undertaking's
personnel as a whole and to organise work plans, etc.;
9. be familiar with the principles of marketing, publicity and public relations,
including transport services sales promotion and the preparation of customer files,
etc.;
10. be familiar with the different types of insurance relating to road transport
(liability, accidental injury, life insurance, non-life and luggage insurance) and with
the guarantees and obligations arising therefrom;
11. be familiar with the applications of electronic data transmission in road
transport;
12. be able to apply the rules governing fares and pricing in public and private
passenger transport;
13. be able to apply the rules governing the invoicing of road passenger
transport services.
F. Access to the market
The applicant must, in particular:
1. be familiar with the occupational regulations governing road transport for
hire or reward, industrial vehicle rental and sub-contracting, and in particular the
rules governing the official organisation of the occupation, admission to the
occupation, authorisations for intra- and extra-Community road transport operations,
inspections and sanctions;
2. be familiar with the rules for setting up a road transport undertaking;
3. be familiar with the various documents required for operating road transport
services and be able to introduce checking procedures for ensuring that the approved
documents relating to each transport operation, and in particular those relating to the
24 g S.L.65.20 MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD)
vehicle, the driver, the goods and luggage are kept both in the vehicle and on the
premises of the undertaking;
4. be familiar with the rules on the organisation of the market in road
passenger transport;
5. be familiar with the rules for introducing road passenger transport services
and be able to draw up transport plans.
G. Technical standards and aspects of operation
The applicant must, in particular:
1. be familiar with the rules concerning the weights and dimensions of vehicles
in the Agreement States and the procedures to be followed in the case of abnormal
loads which constitute an exception to these rules;
2. be able to choose vehicles and their components (chassis, engine,
transmission system, braking system, etc.) in accordance with the needs of the
undertaking;
3. be familiar with the formalities relating to the type approval, registration
and technical inspection of these vehicles;
4. understand what measures must be taken to reduce noise and to combat air
pollution by motor vehicle exhaust emissions;
5. be able to draw up periodic maintenance plans for the vehicles and their
equipment.
H. Road safety
The applicant must, in particular:
1. know what qualifications are required for drivers (driving licence, medical
certificates, certificates of fitness, etc.);
2. be able to take the necessary steps to ensure that drivers comply with the
traffic rules, prohibitions and restrictions in force in different Member States (speed
limits, priorities, waiting and parking restrictions, use of lights, road signs, etc.);
3. be able to draw up drivers’ instructions for checking their compliance with
the safety requirements concerning the condition of the vehicles, their equipment
and cargo, and concerning preventive measures to be taken;
4. be able to lay down procedures to be followed in the event of an accident
and to implement appropriate procedures for preventing the recurrence of accidents
or serious traffic offences;
5. have elementary knowledge of the layout of the road network in the Member
States.
ORGANISATION OF THE EXAMINATION
1. The Authority shall organise a compulsory written examination which may
be supplemented by an optional oral examination to establish whether applicant road
transport operators have achieved the required level of knowledge in the subjects
listed in Part 1, in particular, their ability to use the instruments and techniques
relating thereto and to fulfil the corresponding executive and coordination duties.
( a ) The compulsory written examination shall involve two tests, namely:
- written questions consisting of either multiple choice questions
(each with one correct possible answer out of four), questions
requiring direct answers or a combination of both systems,
MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD) g S.L.65.20 25
- written exercises/case studies.
The minimum duration of each test is two hours.
( b ) Where an oral examination is organised the Authority may stipulate that
participation is subject to successful completion of the written
examination.
2.1 Where the Authority also organises an oral examination, it must provide, in
respect of each of the three tests, for a weighting of marks of a minimum of 25% and
a maximum of 40% of the total number of marks to be given.
2.2 Where the Authority organises only a written examination it must provide,
in respect of each test, for a weighting of marks of a minimum of 40% and a
maximum of 60% of the total number of marks to be given.
3. With regard to all the tests, applicants must obtain an average of at least
60% of the total number of marks to be given, achieving in any given test not less
than 50% of the total number of marks possible. In one test only, the Authority may
reduce that mark from 50% to 40%.
26 g S.L.65.20 MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD)
THIRD SCHEDULE
(Regulation 15)
MINIMUM TRAINING NECESSARY FOR THE AWARD OF A CERTIFICATE 
OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE FOR INTERNATIONAL DRIVERS IN THE 
CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS
Training leading to the award of a certificate of professional competence shall
include at least the following subjects, to the extent that they are not already covered
by training for a driving licence under the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences)
Regulations.
1. Knowledge of the construction and main component parts of a vehicle
1.1. Knowledge of the construction and functioning of:
- internal combustion engines,
- lubrication and cooling systems,
- the fuel system,
- the electrical system,
- the ignition system,
- the transmission system (clutch, gearbox, etc.)
1.2. General knowledge of lubrication and antifreeze protection
1.3. Knowledge of the precautions to be taken during the removal and
replacement of wheels
1.4. Knowledge of the construction, fitting, correct use and care of tyres
1.5. Knowledge of the types, operation, main parts, connection, use and day-to-
day maintenance of brake fittings, and knowledge of coupling systems
1.6. Knowledge of methods of locating causes of breakdowns
1.7. Knowledge of how to repair minor breakdowns with the aid of the correct
equipment
1.8. General knowledge of preventive maintenance of vehicles and necessary
running repairs.
2. General knowledge of transport and administrative procedures
2.1. General ability and sufficient geographical knowledge to use road maps and
their indexes
2.2. Economical use of vehicles
2.3. Knowledge of the steps to be taken after an accident or similar occurrence
(e.g. fire) in connection with vehicle insurance
2.4. Knowledge of the national legislation applicable to drivers of passenger
transport vehicles
2.5. Knowledge of the driver's responsibility in respect of the carriage of
passengers
2.6. Knowledge of the vehicle and passenger documents required for the national
and international carriage of passengers.
3. Experience of driving passenger vehicles
3.1. Practical experience of driving and manoeuvring buses or coaches.
MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD) g S.L.65.20 27
FOURTH SCHEDULE
(Regulation 26) ù
EUROPEAN COMMUNITY
( a )
(Heavy-duty, blue - DIN A4)
(First page of the licence)
(Text in Maltese or English)
LICENCE NO. ...............
For the international carriage of passengers by coach and bus for hire or reward
The holder of this licence ......................................................................................
(full name or business name of the carrier)
is authorised to carry out intentional carriage of passengers by road for hire or
reward in the territory of the Community pursuant to the conditions laid down by the
Motor Vehicles (Carriage of Passengers by Road) Regulations and in accordance
with the general provisions of the licence.
Comments:
..............................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................
This licence is valid from ............................................. to ....................................
Issued in .................................................................... on .....................................
..................................................
Signature and stamp of the Malta Transport Authority
M Malta Transport Authority
28 g S.L.65.20 MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD)
FIFTH SCHEDULE
(Regulation 33)
AUTHORISATIONS FOR REGULAR AND SPECIAL REGULAR SERVICES
(First page of Authorisation No .......)
MALTA (M) Malta Transport Authority
AUTHORISATION No ....
for a regular service ( 1 ) for a non-liberalised special regular service 
by passenger transport vehicles in accordance with regulation 26 et seq
to: .................................. (Surname, first name or trade name of carrier or of
managing carrier in the case of an association of undertakings)
Address: .................................................. Tel. and fax: ........................................
Name, address, telephone and fax numbers of associates or members of the
association of undertakings (pool) and subcontractors:
(1) .....................................................................................................................
(2) .....................................................................................................................
(3) .....................................................................................................................
(4) .....................................................................................................................
(5) .....................................................................................................................
List attached, if appropriate ..................................................................................
Expiry date of authorisation: .................................................................................
.................................................... (Place and date of issue)
.....................................................
(Stamp of the Authority and signature of authorized representative)
( 1 ) Delete as appropriate
MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD) g S.L.65.20 29
(Second page of authorisation No. ...............)
1. Route:
(a) Place of departure of service: ................................................................
(b) Place of destination of service: ..............................................................
(c) Principal itinerary, with passenger pick-up and set-down points
underlined:
..............................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................
2. Periods of operation: ....................................................................................
3. Frequency: ...................................................................................................
4. Timetable: ...................................................................................................
5. Special regular service:
- Category of passengers: ........................................................................
6. Other conditions or special points:
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
...........................
(Stamp of Authority)
30 g S.L.65.20 MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD)
(Third page of the authorisation)
Important notice
1. This authorisation is valid for the entire journey. It may not be used except
by a party whose name is indicated thereon.
2. The authorisation or a true copy certified by the issuing authority shall be
kept on the vehicle for the duration of the journey and shall be presented to
enforcement officials on request.
3. A true certified copy of the Community Licence shall be kept on board the
vehicle.
MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD) g S.L.65.20 31
SIXTH SCHEDULE
(Regulation 34)
APPLICATION FOR AUTHORISATION FOR REGULAR SERVICES
APPLICATION
TO START A REGULAR SERVICE
TO START A SPECIAL REGULAR SERVICE
TO RENEW AUTHORISATION FOR A SERVICE (Tick as appropriate)
carried out by passenger transport vehicles under the
Motor Vehicles (Carriage of Passengers by Road) Regulations
to: Malta Transport Authority
1. Name and first name or trade of the applicant and, where appropriate, of the
managing carrier in the case of an association (pool):
.....................................................................................................................
2. Service(s) carried out (tick as appropriate):
by an undertaking as a member of an association (pool) as a subcontractor
3. Names and addresses of the carrier, associated carrier(s) or subcontractor(s):
3.1 .................................................................... tel. ....................................
3.2 .................................................................... tel. ....................................
3.3 .................................................................... tel. ....................................
3.4 .................................................................... tel. ....................................
Indicate in each case whether a member of an association or a subcontractor is
concerned. Attach list if applicable.
32 g S.L.65.20 MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD)
(Second page of the application for authorisation or for renewal of authorisation)
4. In the case of a special regular service:
 4.1. Category of passengers: .......................................................................
5. Duration of authorisation requested or date on which the service ends:
6. Principal route of service (underline passenger pick-up points):
7. Period of operation:
8. Frequency (daily, weekly, etc.):
....................................................................
9. Fares: .................................................................................. Annex attached
10. Enclose a driving schedule to permit verification of compliance with the
Community legislation on driving and rest periods
11. Number of authorisations or of copies of authorisations requested ( 1 ):
12. Any additional information:
13. ......................................... ................................................
(Place and date)  (Signature of applicant)
( 1 ) The attention of the applicant is drawn to the fact that, since the authorisation
has to be kept on board the vehicle, the number of authorisations which the applicant
must have should correspond to the number of vehicles needed for carrying out the
service requested at the same time.
MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD) g S.L.65.20 33
(Third page of the application for authorisation or for renewal of authorisation)
Important notice
1. The following must be attached to the application, as appropriate:
(a) the timetable;
(b) fare scales;
(c) a certified true copy of the Community Licence for the intentional
carriage of passengers by road for hire or reward;
(d) information concerning the type and volume of the service that the
applicant plans to provide in the case of a new service, or that has been
provided in the case of renewal of an authorisation;
(e) a map on an appropriate scale on which are marked the route and the
stopping points at which passengers are to be taken up or set down;
(f) a driving schedule to permit verification of compliance with the
Community legislation on driving and rest periods.
2. Applicants shall provide any additional information in support of their
application which they consider relevant or which is requested by the Authority.
3. The Motor Vehicles (Carriage of Passengers by Road) Regulations state that
the following services are subject to authorisation:
(a) regular services, services which provide for the carriage of passengers
at specified intervals along specified routes, passengers being taken up
and set down at predetermined stopping points. Regular services shall
be open to all, subject, where appropriate, to compulsory reservation.
The regular nature of the service shall not be affected by any adjustment
to the service operating conditions;
(b) special regular services not covered by a contract between the organiser
and the carrier. Services, by whomsoever organised, which provide for
the carriage of specified categories of passengers to the exclusion of
other passengers, in so far as such services are operated under the
conditions of a regular service, shall be deemed to be regular services.
Such services are hereinafter called "special regular services". Special
regular services shall include:
(i) the carriage of workers between home and work;
(ii) carriage to and from the educational institution for school pupils
and students;
(iii) the carriage of soldiers and their families between their State of
origin and the area of their barracks.
The fact that a special service may be varied according to the needs of users
shall not affect its classification as a special regular service.
4. The application shall be made to the Authority when the service departs
from Malta.
5. The maximum period of validity of the authorisation is five years.
34 g S.L.65.20 MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD)
SEVENTH SCHEDULE
(Regulation 38)
JOURNEY FORM FOR OCCASIONAL SERVICES
1. Journey forms shall be in books of 25 forms in accordance with the form
below, in duplicate, and detachable. Each book shall bear a number. The forms shall
also be numbered from 1 to 25. The cover of the book shall conform to the model
below. They shall be in the name of the carrier and are non-transferable.
2. The Authority shall take all necessary measures to adapt these requirements
to computerised processing of journey forms.
3. (1) The journey form shall be filled in legibly and indelible letters, in
dup1icate, either by the carrier or by the driver for each journey prior to departure. It
shall be valid for the entire journey.
(2) The top copy of the journey form shall be kept in the vehicle during the
whole of the journey to which it refers. A copy shall be kept at the company’s
registered office.
(3) The carrier shall be responsible for keeping the journey forms.
4. In the case of an international occasional service provided by a group of
carriers acting on behalf of the same contractor, and which may include the
travellers establishing a connection  en route  with a different carrier of the same
group, the original of the journey form shall be kept on the vehicle carrying out the
service. A copy of the journey form shall be kept at the base of each carrier
5. Copies of the journey forms used as control documents for occasional
services in the form of cabotage pursuant to regulation 26 shall be returned by the
carrier to the competent authority or agency in the country of establishment in
accordance with procedures to be laid down by that authority or agency.
(2) In the case of special regular services in the form of cabotage pursuant to
regulation 30, the journey form shall be completed in the form of a monthly
statement and returned by the carrier to the competent authority or agency in the
Agreement State of establishment in accordance with procedures to be laid down by
that authority or agency.
6. The journey form shal1 enable the holder registered in Malta, in the course
of an intentional occasional service, to carry out local excursions in an Agreement
State, or a carrier registered in an Agreement State to carry out local excursions in
Malta, in accordance with the conditions laid down in the second paragraph of
regulation 19. The local excursions shall be entered on the journey forms before the
departure of the vehicle on the excursion concerned. The original of the journey
form shall be kept on board the vehicle for the duration of the local excursion.
7. The control document shall be presented to any enforcement official on
request.
MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD) g S.L.65.20 35
JOURNEY FORMS FOR OCCASIONAL SERVICES
ANNEX I
36 g S.L.65.20 MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD)
Book of Journey forms
Malta (M) Malta Transport Authority
BOOK No ..........
of journey forms:
(a) for international occasional services by passenger transport service vehicles
issued in accordance with the Motor Vehicles (Carriage of Passengers by Road)
Regulations.
(b) for occasional services by passenger transport vehicles in the form of
cabotage carried out in an Agreement State, issued on the basis of the Motor
Vehicles (Carriage of Passengers by Road) Regulations.
to: ..................................................................................
(Surname and first name or trade name of carrier)
..................................................................................
..................................................................................
..................................................................................
(Full, address, telephone and fax number)
........................................ ..................................................
(Place and date of issue) (Signature and stamp of the Authority)
MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD) g S.L.65.20 37
Second page 
Important notice
A. GENERAL PROVISIONS COMMON TO INTERNATIONAL
OCCASIONAL SERVICES AND OCCASIONAL SERVICES IN THE FORM OF
CABOTAGE
1. The Motor Vehicles (Carriage of Passengers by Road) Regulations require
occasional services to be carried out under cover of a control document - journey
form.
2. The Regulations define occasional services as services ''which do not fall
within the definition of regular services, including special regular services, and
whose main characteristic is that they carry groups constituted on the initiative of a
customer or of the carrier himself'';
Regular services are ''services which provide for the carriage of passengers
at specified intervals along specified routes, passengers being taken up and set down
at predetermined stopping points''. Regular services shall be open to all, subject,
where appropriate, to compulsory reservation.
The regular nature of the service shalt not be affected by any adjustment to
the service operating conditions.
Services, by whomsoever organized, which provide far the carriage of
specified categories of passengers to the exclusion of other passengers, in so far as
such services are operated under the conditions of a regular service, shall be deemed
to be regular services. Such services are called ''special regular services''.
Special regular services shall include:
(a) the carriage of workers between home and work;
(b) carriage to and from the educational institution for school pupils and
students;
(c) the carriage of soldiers and their families between their state of origin
and the area of their barracks.
The fact that a special service may be varied according to the needs of users
shall not affect its classification as a regular service.
3. The journey form shall be valid for the entire journey.
4. The Community Licence and the journey form entitle the holder to carry out:
(a) international occasional services by passenger transport vehicles
between Malta and one or more Agreement States;
(b) occasional services in the form of cabotage in an Agreement State, or in
Ma1ta if he is non-resident in Malta.
5. The journey form shall be completed in duplicate, either by the carrier or by
the driver before the beginning of each service. The copy of the journey form shall
remain in the undertaking. The driver shall keep the original on board the vehicle
throughout the journey and present it on request to enforcement officials.
6. The driver shall return the journey form to the undertaking which delivered
it at the end of the journey in question. The carrier shall be responsible for keeping
the documents. They shall be filled in legibly and indelibly.
38 g S.L.65.20 MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD)
Third page
B. PROVISIONS SPECIFIC TO INTERNATIONAL OCCASIONAL
SERVICES
1. The Motor Vehicles (Carriage of Passengers by Road) Regulations require
that the organisation of parallel or temporary services comparable to existing regular
service and serving the same clientele as the latter shall be subject to authorisation.
2. Carriers may carry out local excursions in an Agreement State, or in Malta if
they are non-resident in Malta, in the case of international occasional services. Such
local excursions shall be intended exclusively for non-resident passengers
previously transported by the same carrier in the framework of an international
occasional service. They shall be transported in the same vehicle or a vehicle
belonging to the same carrier or group of carriers.
3. In the case of local excursions, the journey form must be completed before
the departure of the vehicle on the excursion in question.
4. In the case of an intentional occasional service operated by a group of
carriers acting on behalf of the same customer and possibly involving the passengers
catching a connection  en route  with a different carrier of the same group, the original
of the journey form shall be kept on the vehicle carrying out the service. A copy of
the journey form shall be kept at the base of each carrier involved.
C. PROVISIONS SPECIFIC TO OCCASIONAL SERVICES IN THE FORM
OF CABOTAGE
1. Occasional services in the form of cabotage shall be subject to the laws,
regulations and administrative measures in force in Malta in the following areas:
(a) rates and conditions governing the transport contract;
(b) weights and dimensions of the road vehicles shall meet the conditions of
the relevant regulations regulating motor vehicles’ weights, dimensions,
and equipment;
(c) requirements relating to the carriage of certain categories of passenger,
such as schoolchildren, children and persons with reduced mobility;
(d) driving and rest periods;
(e) value added tax (VAT) on the transport services.
2. The technical standards for construction and equipment which the vehicles
used to carry out the cabotage transport operations must meet shall be those laid
down for vehicles put into circulation in international transport.
3. In the case of an occasional service in the form of cabotage, the journey
forms shall be returned by the carrier to the Authority in accordance with procedures
it shall establish.
4. In the case of special regular services in the form of cabotage, the journey
forms shall be completed in the form of a monthly statement and returned by the
carrier to the Authority in accordance with procedures it shall establish.
MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD) g S.L.65.20 39
EIGHTH SCHEDULE
(Regulation 39)
CERTIFICATES FOR OWN ACCOUNT TRANSPORT SERVICES
MALTA M Malta Transport Authority
CERTIFICATE
Issued for own-account transport operations by coach and bus between Agreement 
States and Malta
(Part for the person or entity carrying out the own-account transport operations)
The undersigned ...................................................................................................
responsible for the undertaking, non-profit-making body or other (describe)
..............................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................
(Surname and first name or official name, full address)
certifies that:
- the transport service provided is non-profit-making and non-
commercial,
- transport is only an ancillary activity for the person or entity,
- the coach or bus registration No .......... is the property of the person or
entity or has been obtained by them on deferred terms or has been the
subject of a long-term leasing contract,
- the coach or bus will be driven by a member of the staff of the
undersigned person or entity or by the undersigned in person.
(Signature of the person or representative of the entity)
(Part for the Authority)
This constitutes a certificate within the meaning of regulation 38.
.................................... ..........................................
(Period of validity)  (Place and date of issue)
................................................
40 g S.L.65.20 MOTOR VEHICLES (CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS BY ROAD)
(Signature and stamp of the Authority)
(Second page of the certificate)
General provisions
1. Regulation 2 of the Motor Vehicles (Carriage of Passengers by Road) states
that ''own-account transport operations'' are passenger transport operations carried
out for non-commercial and non-profit making purposes by a natural or legal person,
provided that the following conditions are fulfilled:
- the transport activity is only ancillary to the overall activities of the
undertaking;
- the vehicles used are the property of that natural or legal person or have
been obtained on deferred terms by them or have been the subject of a
long-term leasing contract and are driven by a member of the staff of
the natural or legal person or by the natural person himself.
2. Own-account carriers are licensed to carry out this type of transport
operation without discrimination on grounds of nationality or place of establishment
provided that they:
- are authorised in the State of establishment to undertake transport by
coach and bus on the conditions of access to the market laid down in
national legislation;
- meet the requirements on road safety as far as the standards for drivers
and vehicles are concerned.
3. The own-account transport operations referred to in point 1 are exempt from
authorisation but subject to a system of certificates.
4. The certificate entitles the holder to carry out intentional transport
operations by coach and bus for own-account. It is issued by the competent authority
of the Agreement State where the vehicle is registered and is valid for the entire
journey, including any transit journeys.
5. The relevant parts of this certificate must be completed in indelible letters in
triplicate by the person or the representative of the entity carrying out the operation
and by the competent authority. One copy must be kept by the administration and
one by the person or entity. The driver must keep the original or a certified true copy
on board the vehicle for the entire duration of any international journeys. It must be
presented to the enforcement authorities on request. The person or entity, as
appropriate, is responsible for keeping the certificates.
6. The certificate is valid for a maximum of five years.
