Continue subsidies for hybrid cars, PN tells government

The Nationalist Party is calling for subsidies on the purchase of plug-in hybrid vehicles to be continued after government announced this year’s fund was taken up.

The generous subsidies are granted to enable people buy new cars that are either electric or plug-in hybrids. The grant for plug-in hybrids will end in May.

PN transport spokesperson Adrian Delia and climate change spokesperson Eve Borg Bonello said just a week after government pledged to prioritise the fight against climate change when parliament opened, the subsidies for hybrid vehicles were stopped.

“This is either a mistake or lack of communication between the ministries. The PN appeals for these subsidies to continue being given, and increased further,” the spokespersons said on Monday.

They recalled that in October 2019, government and Opposition had declared a climate emergency in a resolution approved by parliament.

“Climate change is posing a serious threat, particularly for a country with a Mediterranean climate that is already hot… the government has to be proactive to reach its European goals of decarbonisation in the economy and infrastructure.” Delia and Borg Bonello said.

They insisted that the transport sector in Malta was a major polluter and enabling motorists to buy cleaner vehicles was an important step to overcome global challenges.