Tiny Island State With Worst Jams In Europe Pays Young Drivers €25,000 Not To Drive For Five Years

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Marsa, Malta, pinch immoderate of nan worst postulation jams successful Europe. Credit: Dmitriy Bakhar - Shutterstock

Malta has launched a arguable rate inducement to tackle terrible roadworthy congestion by encouraging young group to springiness up driving.

Traffic nightmare connected a mini island

Vehicle registrations proceed to increase, jamming up nan island’s roads, pinch dozens of caller cars added each time moreover arsenic nan organization hovers astir half a million. European experts person agelong warned that motorised carrier must move toward shared usage aliases consequence becoming unsustainable, a constituent highlighted by Spain’s postulation main Pere Navarro successful caller months. Malta is now taking extremist action pinch nationalist costs to trim car numbers immediately.

Generous payout for surrendering licences

Willing participants person a full of €25,000, paid successful yearly instalments of €5,000 complete 5 years. Free nationalist carrier entree comes arsenic an added use passim nan period. Drivers must surrender each licence categories and work together not to thrust immoderate conveyance successful Malta aliases overseas during nan afloat term.

Strict eligibility rules for rate handover

Only residents aged nether 30 who person lived successful Malta for astatine slightest 7 years qualify. Applicants request a valid Category B licence held for a minimum of 12 months, pinch nary superior postulation penalties connected record. Applications tally connected a first-come, first-served ground nether nan Sustainable Transport Driving Licence Surrender Scheme operated by Transport Malta.

Over 100 young group already signed up

Roughly 1 100 youths person accepted nan woody truthful far, committing to replacement recreation methods for nan adjacent 5 years. Critics, including nan National Youth Council, mobility whether nan strategy will meaningfully easiness congestion fixed nan dependable influx of caller vehicles, urging greater finance successful nationalist carrier instead.

Return to driving comes pinch conditions

Those who complete nan five-year play and wish to regain their licence look 15 hours of applicable lessons astatine an approved driving school. Officials dream nan inaugural will trim vehicles successful circulation and beforehand sustainable mobility, though its semipermanent effect remains nether statement amid Malta’s ongoing traffic troubles.

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