The average age of cars in Malta has dropped sharply since the turn of the millennium, but it is still way beyond the EU average.
Transport Malta data shows that last year the average age of the car fleet stood at 14 years, from 24 years in 2001. It is eight years in the EU.
Motorcycles also saw their average age drop to 14 years last year from a whopping 28 years in 2001. The EU average is 13.
Tonio Darmanin, who hosts the TV motor show Paqpaq, attributed the rejuvenation process to car scrappage schemes but stressed that more needs to be done for Malta to approach the EU average.
He suggested a permanent scrappage scheme to encourage the purchase of new cars rather than imported second hand vehicles (which keep average age up), and lower registration taxes as a means to reduce the price of replacing a car.
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