‘I drive my own’: PQ reveals cost of ministerial cars but finance minister has none

Finance Minister Clyde Caruana is possibly the only Cabinet member with no ministerial car and uses his personal vehicle to drive himself around.

According to information tabled in parliament, Caruana has no ministerial vehicle and when contacted, he told MaltaToday that he drives himself to press conferences, and sometimes hitches a ride with the ministry's messenger car.

"It's my choice. I don't have a driver and opted to continue functioning as I was before becoming minister," he said.

The Prime Minister's official car is a BMW 530E iPerformance (File photo)

It makes him quite unique and in some ways reminiscent of former prime minister Alfred Sant, who despite having an official car and driver used to drive himself around.

The information comes from a series of parliamentary questions by Opposition spokesperson Ryan Callus to various ministries, asking about ministerial cars and their cost to taxpayers.

Prime Minister Robert Abela’s ministerial car, a BMW 530E iPerformance, costs the tax payer a yearly sum of €13,200, according to the information tabled in parliament. The car is a hybrid vehicle.

The Office of the Prime Minister also bought a Range Rover Evoque for €42,664. The information does not specify who uses the Range Rover and whether it is the second car that any Cabinet member is entitled to for personal use.

Energy Minister Miriam Dalli's official car is a fully electric Mercedes Benz EQC 400 (File photo)

The Parliamentary Secretary for EU Funds within the OPM, Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi rents a Mercedes E220D, for a yearly sum of €12,775.

Energy Minister Miriam Dalli is driven in a fully-electric Mercedes Benz EQC 400, rent for a yearly sum of €14,600.

Foreign Minister Evarist Bartolo’s BMW 7 Series is rented for a yearly sum of €11,920, while Education Minister Justyne Caruana is driven in a BMW 520D for €10,549 yearly.

A questions on Economy Minister Silvio Schembri’s ministerial car will be answered in another sitting.

Pending questions relating to other ministers will be answered in other sittings.