In their latest annual Pre-Budget Proposal for the upcoming 2022 Budget, the Maltese National Youth Council (KNZ) has proposed a quota system on the number of vehicles allowed to occupy Malta’s street at a given time. The proposal suggests implementing a system in which individuals ‘engage in a bidding process in order to purchase and make us of a vehicle for a limited number of years […]’. This model has been introduced in Singapore in relation to car ownership as a means to fight both traffic and environmental pollution.
Singapore introduced a ‘Certificate of Entitlement’ which allows bidders to compete against one another for the right to use a vehicle over ten years. This model was brought up locally by Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat around two years ago but instead opted against it, preferring to incentivise people to use public transport instead. Scotland has confirmed it will trial this concept, with other countries such as New Zealand and Japan having trialled something similar.
THE KNZ brought up other proposals ahead of the Budget which target various other sectors, from education to health. Among the proposals, the council is proposing ‘walk-in clinics’ targeted at mental health, an introduction of a carbon tax, facilitation of affordable HIV treatments and medication, a considerable increase in wages of professional educators and even re-opening trade schools among others.