Will you swap your car for a scooter to go to work?

If, like a great proportion of Malta's communters, you were stuck in traffic this morning, perhaps feeling a tiny twinge of jealousy every time a motorcycle made its way through the gridlock, you may be in luck. 

Last week's Budget included a number of traffic-related measures, including a flat fee of €10 for the registration of small-engine motorcycles and scooters (up to 125cc), a limit of one major infrastructural project at any one time, a increase in fines for drunk driving and mobile phone use at the wheel and a €13 million investment in upgrading roads.

But one particular measure could have an enormous impact on traffic. Section 7.17 of the Budget 2016 document says that anyone over 18 holding a B Licence (the one that allows the holder to drive a car for private use) can drive a motorcycle or scooter with an engine smaller than 125cc.

Typically, anyone wishing to drive a two-wheeled vehicle is bound to take a written test followed by a practical test on the road. Driving lessons with a licensed motoring school or driving instructor are mandatory. 

The new budget measure does not specify whether any driving instruction is required before the B Licence holder can take off on a scooter, an omission that could have dangerous implications. 

While 125cc of engine power may not seem like much, particularly in comparison to a car, it's still more than enough to cause injury if mishandled.

A number of riders on Facebook have welcomed the lowering of registration fees but expressed reservations about letting anyone who can drive a car, drive a scooter without instruction. Learning to drive a scooter is not the issue, they say. It's more a matter of learning how to safely deal with other traffic. 

Whether it's tragedy waiting to happen or a revolution in the battle against gridlock, this new measure will change the face of traffic as we know it. The question is whether people will ditch four wheels for two and give it a go.