
This morning, Times of Malta reported that the government plans to pay drivers €25,000 if they surrender their driving licence for five years. While Malta Daily can confirm the same information, we are also in a position to reveal that this is just one of several measures being considered as part of a short-term strategy to tackle Malta’s traffic problem.
Under the proposed scheme, licence holders who own a car and have been driving in Malta for at least seven years will be offered €5,000 annually for five years in exchange for giving up their licence.
Other measures being discussed include:
- Encouraging carpooling, although the exact details are still being finalised.
- Shifting garbage collection to nighttime, an idea that has been proposed for years but is now gaining traction.
It has long been known that the government was considering various initiatives to discourage car ownership and incentivise alternative transport options. Transport Minister Chris Bonett had previously announced that a series of measures would be introduced in two phases: short-term and long-term solutions.
The measures currently being discussed, which are expected to be announced soon, form part of the short-term strategy. Malta Daily understands that Minister Chris Bonett is committed to implementing these proposals and is determined to see them through. While all these measures are not yet final and details can change, the cabinet and the prime minister are in full support of the new measures, which have been under discussion for a long time with the necessary stakeholders and groups. Further measures are also in the pipeline, reinforcing the government’s efforts to address Malta’s growing traffic concerns.
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