Transport Malta extends schemes aimed at increasing number of environmentally-friendly vehicles

Transport Malta is extending two schemes aimed at putting newer, more environmentally-friendly cars on the road.

According to a media statement issued by Transport Malta, the scrappage scheme launched in December 2015 is being extended for the fourth time, with a further €300,000 being allocated to the scheme.

A total of 1,603 vehicles have benefitted from the €1,200,000 grant allocated by the government.

Under the scheme, vehicle owners are entitled to a grant of €700 to €900 when purchasing of a new M1 (passenger) vehicle with CO2 emissions which do not exceed 130g/km, vehicle length not exceeding 4460mm and licensed for private use only, while de-registering a vehicle in the same category.

The initiative is planned to encourage people to dispose of their old vehicles and to invest in new cars with lower emissions.

A second scheme, in the form of a number of grants to incentivise the purchase of battery electric vehicles and battery electric quadricycles has also been re-opened, Transport Malta said.

This scheme, it said, saw a total of 35 electric vehicles benefit from the €200,000 grant allocated. In this case, a €7,000 grant is given to persons registering a new electric vehicle while scrapping an older vehicle which is at least ten years old from the year of manufacture. The grant decreases from €7,000 to €4,000 in cases of registering a used battery electric vehicle in Malta which has never been registered to be used on the Maltese roads before, or for the purchasing of a new electric vehicle but which is not in conjunction with the scrappage scheme referred above.

According to Transport Malta, these schemes are aimed at reducing the number of old motor vehicles from the road while promoting the use of clean and energy efficient vehicles as a way to contribute towards the reduction of traffic generated pollution and improvement of  air quality levels.

Application forms for such schemes can be collected from the Vehicle Licensing Unit within Transport Malta, A3 Towers, Raħal Ġdid or from the Transport Malta website at http://www.transport.gov.mt/land-transport.