More than 1,000 cars with foreign registrations clamped in 2018

A total of 1,014 cars with a foreign registration number were clamped in 2018.

Transport Minister Ian Borg said that Transport Malta had clamped 1,014 cars in 2018, 315 cars in the last quarter of 2017 and had already clamped 139 cars with foreign registrations by the end of March of this year.

He tabled this information in Parliament on Tuesday in response to a question by Nationalist Party MP Claudio Grech.

Borg explained how Transport Malta employs a clamping team on a 24/7 basis. "This team is made up of a Toyota Hilux van that continuously does the rounds on Maltese roads to note and take action against vehicles that are breaking the law by driving around with foreign license plates," he said.

When such foreign license plates are encountered, Borg said, the vehicle brandishing them is clamped for twenty-four hours. Within that time, the owner can ask for the removal of the clamp against a €180 fee.

Failing correspondence with Transport Malta and the vehicle is not collected, this is towed to the compounds of Transport Malta and eventually, if the owner fails to make contact, it is put up for an auction according to the law.

Vehicles with foreign plates should only be driven by non-residents and are allowed to “circulate on Maltese roads” for up to seven months within a period of 12 months.