Charging pillars once used by the now-defunct car-sharing company GoTo remain abandoned across Malta, three years after the government began discussions on repurposing them for private electric vehicles.
Some pillars still have designated parking bays marked as reserved for GoTo vehicles. Despite still being in place, none of the charging pillars visited by Times of Malta are currently operational for private vehicles.
Since GoTo Malta ceased operations in September 2022, little has changed, despite repeated pledges that the issue would be resolved.
Shortly after the company shut down, Energy Minister Miriam Dalli said discussions had begun on what to do with GoTo’s 450 reserved parking spaces, saying her “preferred option” was that they are used for electric cars.
A year later, then-Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia said the car parking spaces, many of which included charging stations, would be made available to private electric vehicles “very soon”. “We expect the situation to be resolved in the coming weeks,” he said at the time.
But last year, the Transport Ministry said that talks are still ongoing between Transport Malta (TM) and GoTo.
Until this deal is finalised, TM said it has informed local councils to temporarily cover the signs so that the spaces can be used for regular parking
Responding to questions, Transport Malta said discussions on the abandoned stations are “at their final stage, with Transport Malta set to sign the agreement imminently”. “Over the past year, Transport Malta has worked closely with the Energy and Water Agency to certify and inspect every charging pillar for safety and compliance. This thorough certification was essential and explains why the process has taken time,” it added.
Until this deal is finalised, TM said it has informed local councils to temporarily cover the signs so that the spaces can be used for regular parking. “The government’s clear position is to retain and integrate these charging points into Malta’s national EV network, maximising their value for the public and for our environmental goals,” it said.
‘Electric Vehicles Malta Community’ Facebook group administrator and content creator Luke Zammit said the issue is extremely frustrating, given that electric vehicle owners have been calling for more public charging points. “These charging points are there, fully functional, and they’re just being left to rot. We’ve been waiting for something to happen, but nothing has,” he said.
It remains unclear how many of the original GoTo charging pillars are still in place, as neither the transport nor environment ministries responded to Times of Malta’s question.