Malta's Finance Minister on Monday pledged free public transport for residents to encourage people to ditch their cars and help solve the congestion on the roads.
This initiative will apply as from next year for Maltese residents in possession of a bus card but not to tourists, according to Clyde Caruana, the finance minister. Malta tops the list of countries with most cars when compared to its small size and population.
According to the latest statistics, the stock of licensed vehicles stood at 400,586 at the end of September 2020 for a population of just over 500,000 people.
The free transport scheme was one of many measures announced in the budget for 2022 containing a raft of social measures aimed at cushioning the effect of the rising cost of living.
Caruana also announced an increase from 9,000 euros to 15,000 euros for whoever purchases electric vehicles, a five-year exemption on license fees for electric vehicles, the installation of 1,200 charging points for electric vehicles over the next three years and tax refunds for purchases of bicycles and electric bikes.
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