Water Taxi Services Regulations, 2009

L.N. 71 of 2009

MALTA MARITIME AUTHORITY ACT

(CAP. 352)

Water Taxi Services Regulations, 2009

IN exercise of the powers conferred by article 29(3) of the

Malta Maritime Authority Act, the Minister for Infrastructure,

Transport and Communications, in consultation with the Malta

Maritime Authority, has made the following regulations

(1) The title of these regulations is the Water Taxi

Services Regulations, 2009.

(2) These regulations shall be deemed to have come

into force on the 1st March, 2009.

(3) The scope of these regulations is to regulate the

water taxi services provided in the internal and territorial waters of

(Regulation 8)

Water Taxi Services Tariffs

Type of trip Fare

€

1. Direct trips between landing places within the same port

or internal waters

(a) up to two passengers ………………………………………… 5.00

(b)

for every additional passenger ……………………………… 2.50

2. Direct trips between landing places within the zones as

indicated in the Second Schedule

(a) trips within the same zone

(i) up to two passengers …………………………………… 10.00

(ii) for every additional passenger ………………………… 5.00

(b) trips between neighbouring zones

(i) up to two passengers …………………………………… 15.00

(ii) for every additional passenger ………………………… 7.50

(c) trips between other zones

(i) up to two passengers …………………………………… 40.00

(ii) for every additional passenger ………………………… 10.00

3. Water tours

(a) up to two passengers, for every hour or part thereof ………

In these regulations, unless the context otherwise

“authorised officer” means an officer of the Authority, the

Police, or a local warden;

“the Authority” means the Malta Maritime Authority

established by the Malta Maritime Authority Act;

“Code of Practice” shall have the same meaning as that

assigned to it in the Regulations;

“commercial vessel certificate” shall have the same

meaning as that assigned to it in the Regulations;

“commercial vessel operator’s licence” shall have the same

meaning as that assigned to “licence” in the Regulations;

“hire” means the carriage of passengers against payment

or compensation by the person who is transported;

“internal waters” shall have the same meaning as that

assigned to it in the Malta Maritime Authority Act;

“master” shall have the same meaning as that assigned to

it in the Regulations;

“passage boat” means the traditional Maltese dgħajsa

licensed for the conveyance of fee paying passengers within

the Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour;

“passenger” shall have the same meaning as that assigned

to it in the Regulations;

“persons with reduced mobility” shall have the same

meaning as that assigned to it in the Code of Practice;

“port” shall have the same meaning as that assigned to it

in the Malta Maritime Authority Act;

“the Regulations” means the Commercial Vessel

Regulations;

“water scheduled service” means a series of crossings

from one landing place to another in terms of a published time

table approved by the Authority;

“territorial waters” shall have the same meaning as that

assigned to it in the Territorial Waters and Contiguous Zone

Act;

“water taxi” means a commercial vessel licensed to

ply for hire for the carriage of passengers within the internal

and territorial waters of Malta and which complies with the

requirements for a water taxi in the Code of Practice, but

excludes a passage boat; and

“water taxi operator” means a person who is in possession

of a licence issued by the Authority to operate a water taxi.

Map of the Islands of Malta divided into six zones

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€0.75

(1) No person may operate a water taxi service unless he

is in possession of a commercial vessel operator’s licence.

(2) The water taxi operator is responsible to ensure that

all relative laws and regulations are observed at all times.

(3) The water taxi operator is responsible to ensure

that the crew employed by him is in possession of the requisite

certificates issued in terms of the Regulations.

(1) No boat may be used as a water taxi unless it conforms

in every respect with the requirements set down in the Regulations,

or any other applicable regulations, and in the Code of Practice, and

is covered with a commercial vessel certificate.

(2) A water taxi service may be operated in all the

internal and territorial waters of Malta, so far as such service is not

a water scheduled service.

(1) While on duty, the master of a water taxi

(a) shall wear a clean white shirt, white long or bermuda

trousers, white socks and closed shoes;

(b) may wear a cap and a jacket of a design approved

by the Authority;

(c) shall wear the identification card prescribed by the

Authority; and

(d) shall ensure that he wears the clothes and the

identification card in a proper manner at all times.

(2) No master of a water taxi shall make use of an

identification card other than that issued to him by the Authority and

such identification card shall not be transferable from one master to

another.

(3) For the purpose of this regulation, “while on duty”

means any such time when the master of a water taxi is waiting at a

landing place, exposing the water taxi for hire or driving the water

taxi, whether carrying passengers or not.

(4) At the commencement of every trip, the master

shall ensure that all safety and communication equipment is in good

working order and shall only use the communication channels as

specified by the Authority from time to time.

(5) The authorised officer may suspend any master

at once if such master is found, in the discretion of the officer, in

breach of this regulation.

(1) The master of a water taxi shall not at any time leave

the water taxi unattended while it is alongside a landing place.

(2) The master of a water taxi exposed for hire at a

landing place shall not refuse, without reasonable cause, the hire

of his water taxi from any person requesting such hire to any given

destination.

(3) A master of a water taxi refusing a hire as referred to

in sub-regulation (2) hereof shall, saving his liability to the penalties

established in these regulations, immediately leave the landing

place.

(4) The master of a water taxi, while standing or plying

for hire, shall not call or otherwise importune any person to hire

such water taxi and shall not make use of the services of any other

person for such purposes.

(5) The master of a water taxi who has agreed or has

been hired to be in attendance with a water taxi at an appointed time

and place, shall attend with such water taxi at such appointed time

and place.

(6) The master of a water taxi, when asked to drive to

any particular destination, shall, unless directed otherwise by the

hirer, proceed to that destination using the most expeditious route.

(7) The master of a water taxi which is on hire, while

the hiring continues, shall wait with the water taxi at such places and

for such time as the hirer may lawfully direct.

(1) The tariff of fares for the hire of a water taxi shall be

that shown in the First Schedule to these regulations, provided that

lower fares may be charged.

(2) The tariff of fares shall be applicable to a complete

water taxi service and shall be inclusive of the handling of a normal

sized luggage.

(3) A printed form, issued by the Authority and suitably

framed showing the tariff of fares and other information as the

Authority may establish, is to be displayed conspicuously at all

times in the interior of every water taxi.

(4) No passenger shall refuse to pay the fare to the

master of a water taxi at the end of a trip.

(5) The master of a water taxi shall not charge or demand

a higher fare than that shown in the First Schedule.

(1) The master of a water taxi shall provide the passenger

with a receipt showing the date, the amount paid and the origin and

destination of the trip.

(2) A passenger may be requested by an authorised

officer to produce his receipt in order to check and inspect the receipt

and its validity on disembarking from a water taxi.

(1) A water taxi shall display a “Water Taxi” sign which

shall be written and fitted as prescribed in the Code of Practice.

(2) A water taxi shall have the same colour and image

as prescribed in the Code of Practice.

(3) The master of a water taxi shall keep the water taxi

constantly clean and in good order and repair while in use in the

provision of a water taxi service.

The master of a water taxi is obliged to assist and help

any person with reduced mobility in embarking or disembarking

from the water taxi and during the trip aboard the water taxi.

Any contravention committed against the provisions of

these regulations shall be treated in the same manner as if it has been

committed under the Regulations.

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(b) for every additional passenger, for every hour or part

thereof ……………………………………………………… 10.00

4. Waiting charge for every hour or part thereof …………………… 20.00

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