Italian startup SiWeGO, which operates an app that connects individuals needing to send packages with those who can deliver them, has launched a pilot project to test the Malta-Gozo and Malta-Sicily routes for package delivery.

The initiative follows SiWeGO's selection in a two-month residency programme at the Valletta Design Cluster organised by the Valletta Cultural Agency as part of the Maltese hub of EIT Urban Mobility.

Starting from 2nd September, the app is operational in Malta, allowing users to request shipments of packages or offer their services as transporters.

The app is already operational in Italy, with the new pilot presenting an opportunity for the company to explore its inter-island potential.

"Besides offering a low cost and more efficient solution to Maltese citizens who want to ship a parcel to Gozo or Sicily or vice versa, our app can give a significant contribution to reduce pollution, traffic and road accidents in Malta" stated Marcello Favalli, CEO of SiWeGO.

"In fact we think it is going to be a great solution for other European islands such as Sardinia, the Balearics and the many Greek islands facing stiffer costs and inefficiencies since they are on the periphery of main continental transport routes. We will understand this better through the Malta pilot project".

SiWeGO cites recent surveys indicating “a latent demand for such a service” among approximately 5,000 Maltese residents in Sicily, 8,000 foreign residents in Gozo, and around 14,000 Italians living in Malta.

The app’s gives users the ability to optimise unused vehicle space. SiWeGO said that on average, 24 per cent to 37 per cent of their vehicle space goes unused.

“SiWeGO’s business model capitalises on this wasted capacity, allowing couriers to maximise their routes and earn additional income.”

Everyday citizens can also use the service, enabling them to utilise the empty space in their cars.

“The potential is vast,” said the company. “Across Europe, the average car occupancy is just 1.3 people, leaving plenty of unused capacity, a problem that is evident also in Malta.”

SiWeGO is building on the concept of ride-sharing – more common in Europe than it is in Malta, though services like BlaBlaCar. It is also similar to the initial rationale for Airbnb, which was initially centred around people offering their extra room to guests. However, that concept has since developed along a different direction, with many investors buying properties and turning them into holiday accommodation.

Additionally, the ‘gig economy’, where digital platforms connect service users and suppliers without a formal employment contract with such suppliers, has proven highly controversial, raising questions about its sustainability.

Whether or not SiWeGO finds there is potential in its inter-island package transport experiment, it will likely need to address the risks of the model sooner rather than later.