Government wants to pay 17-year-olds €1,500 to ride mopeds - but no car licence until 21

The transport ministry is mulling another scheme to reduce traffic, this time by paying 17-year-olds to drive light motorcycles, on the condition that they cannot apply for a driver’s licence until they are 21 years old.

MaltaToday is informed that the government is considering a €1,500-a-year grant to all 17-year-olds who opt for a moped licence in a bid to prevent young people from getting a car.

However, any teenagers who opt for a moped will not be able to apply for a driver’s licence until they are 21 years old.

The ministry is also exploring plans to pay drivers €25,000 to give up their licence for five years. According to the Times of Malta, this measure would apply to licence holders who own a car and have been driving in Malta for at least seven years.

In November 2024, Transport Minister Chris Bonett said that the government will explore incentives for people to surrender their driving license and in the case of youths, stop them from obtaining their licence altogether.

This is part of a wider plan to overhaul the transport sector, with measures expected to be implemented as soon as the second quarter of 2025.

Among the proposals mentioned by Bonett were off-peak service provision, revised bus routes, increased parking in public spaces and better coordination on road works.