An additional €200,000 have been allocated to the car scappage scheme, Transport Malta said.

It said that following the overwhelming success of the scheme, the government was allocating the additional funds.

The authority said it was now receiving applications for the scheme on the purchase of new environment-friendly vehicles and would be processed on a first come first served basis.

The initiative was aimed to encourage people to dispose of their old vehicles and to invest in new cars with lower emissions.

A total of 395 vehicles had already benefited from the original €300,000 grant.

Vehicle owners who applied for the scheme were entitled to a payment of between €500 and €900 upon the purchase of a new motor vehicle M1 that qualified for the grant scheme while at the same time de-registering a vehicle in the same category.

Applications can be downloaded or obtained from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Unit, Hornsworks Ditch, Floriana.