Tag Archive: malta

  1. LEVs eligible for Malta’s €34million EV grant programme

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    Source: Electrive

    Transport Malta has launched a substantial grant scheme for the purchasing of new electric vehicles, including pedelecs, motorcycles and quadricycles, as well as cars and vans.

    As part of a broader programme to incentivise uptake of electric vehicles, funds are being allocated by the Maltese goverment’s transport authority for the purchase of new electric vehicles, and for the scrappage of old vehicles.

    Grants for light electric vehicles

    Under the scheme, a grant of €500 is available against the purchase of pedelecs, and €2,000 against cargo pedelecs, mopeds and motorcycles (but not more than 80% of the retail price). Tricycles, quadricycles and heavy quadricycles are eligible for 25% of CIF (Cost, Insurance, Freight value), with the grants for this category starting at a minimum of €2,000 and capped at €6,000. The grants apply to new vehicles only.

    Scrappage grants

    People can also take advantage of the government’s vehicle scrappage grant, which pays up to €500 for mopeds or motorcycles. There are certain conditions which apply: the scrapped vehicle must be at least 10 years old on the date of scrappage; it must be licensed with Transport Malta before scrappage, or the purchase of a new vehicle; it must be destroyed at an authorised demolition facility, and a valid destruction certificate dated between 2024 and 2025 must be obtained.

    A statement from Transport Malta said, “The scheme aims at reducing the number of older conventional motor vehicles from the road […] The grant will remain available until the 31st of December 2025 or until the budgeted funds are exhausted.”

    More information can be found here.

  2. NGO addresses Malta’s transport issues and its rental scooter ban

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    Source: Newsbook Malta

    Newsbook Malta interviews Dr Suzanne Maas from Friends of the Earth Malta about Malta’s traffic problems, e-scooter ban, and the actions needed to solve its transport issues.

    Malta and its role in reducing EU transport emissions

    Last year before the COP28 summit, it was reported that Malta had registered the largest percentage increase in EU greenhouse gas emissions. Since the European Commission described Malta’s climate action progress as “largely insufficient”, questions have been raised on how the Maltese government intends to achieve its green mobility and carbon emission reduction targets.

    E-scooters: “The latest casualty” of shared mobility in Malta

    Dr. Maes discussed the upcoming ban on rental e-scooters in the country, which will be enforced from March 1st, 2024, describing them as the “latest casualty” of shared mobility, with lack of available parking space on narrow streets being a frequent concern for Maltese residents. Through the years Friends of the Earth Malta and Rota campaigned to improve e-scooter issues, by proposing designated parking spaces on each street for scooters, protected lanes, traffic calmed zones and a more inclusive transport network for multimodal travel.

    Improvement in transport infrastructure needed to reach EU climate action targets

    With only 52% of the Maltese population having a driving license, Dr. Maes argues that investing in infrastructure for private cars only meets the needs of half of the population and suggests that more needs to be done to improve mobility for everyone. She emphasizes that solving Malta’s transport issues doesn’t need to be big infrastructural projects, but needs the configuration of its existing infrastructure to be changed. The article mentions positive transport infrastructure examples in Europe, such as Brussels in Belgium, which is a very car dependent city but has recently enjoyed impressive results from an active mobility initiative. Read the full article here about the issues regarding mobility in Malta.