Over the past year, 5,000 people had passed their driving tests and earned their licence, Parliamentary Secretary Stefan Buontempo said today.

He explained that thanks to government incentives, more drivers were today obtaining motorbike licences as well. 

Mr Buontempo was speaking at a Zejtun local council-organised event this morning which underlined the need for traffic awareness. Members of the Civil Protection Department were among those taking part. 

Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela spoke about the importance of organising more educational events intended to reduce the number of traffic accidents. 

Mr Abela said the police, together with day centres for the elderly, recently held educational sessions to highlight safety in the roads. On a positive note, he said the European Commission had recently confirmed that Malta registered one of the biggest decreases in road fatalities in the EU.