Three local councils have been given €90,000 between them to launch schemes encouraging people to ditch their cars.

The Pietà, Safi and Għarb councils were the winners of the Permanent Sustainability Mobility Measures scheme that form part of the European Mobility Week. The councils have a year to implement the schemes.

The Pietà council was awarded €50,000 to invest in a free and on-demand van to ferry people in the locality. The van would drop people off at bus stops to ease congestion in and around the town, Transport Minister Ian Borg said.

There have to be initiatives to attract young people to keep using public transport

In an effort to encourage young people to use public transport, the Għarb council was given €30,000 to give out free electric bikes to those aged between 16 and 18.

“There have to be initiatives to attract young people to keep using public transport even when they are eligible to apply for a driving licence,” Dr Borg said.

The Safi council got €10,000 to implement a ‘walking school bus’, a form of student ‘transport’ for children who walk to school along a set route, in much the same way a school bus would drive them to school.

The ‘walking school bus’ was part of an initiative encouraging people to refrain from using their cars. It also had the added bonus of helping children remain in shape, Dr Borg said. Students will be able to walk from two identified areas to the primary school in Safi, accompanied by volunteers.

Dr Borg insisted initiatives encouraging people to refrain from using their cars were paying off. A record 50 million bus trips would be operated this year compared to 33 million in 2012.

An initiative known as Bus 20, offering free public transport to 16- to 20-year-olds, attracted 3.2 million rides, Dr Borg said. The initiative had only been in place for 10 months, he noted.