Everyone agrees that there are too many cars in Malta but no one is prepared to give up his car.

Owning a car has many obvious advantages and could also be an incentive for one to get a steady job. Making it very expensive to own a car would be very unfair because that would favour those who are better off.

The number of vehicles on the roads during rush hours could be reduced considerably by making it very expensive to be part of the rush hour traffic.

In outline, the plan is to add, say, €1,000 a year to the road licence for a yellow number plate entitling the vehicle to be part of the traffic during rush hours. The rest would still be able to use their vehicle but not on specific roads at certain times; during the rush hours, they would be able to cross the prohibited roads but not drive along them.

The yellow number plate would soften the blow to its owner as it would be an ego booster and, at the same time, add a handsome amount to the nation’s annual income.

With much fewer vehicles on the road, Arriva would be able to move its buses more freely, helping to get those not using their car to their work and back home in a reasonable time. During the rush hours, buses would be given top priority on the specified roads only lower to that of ambulances, fire engines and the police.

It is only a thought.