A total of €2.5 million are being made available in grants to those opting for cleaner and more sustainable transport.
Last year’s €1.8 million scrappage scheme, through which commuters swapped their car for a less polluting vehicle, will return this year.
In 2018, some 1,670 people benefited from this scheme through which they received a grant ranging from €800 to €2,000, and this year, the government has allocated €1.5 million for the initiative.
If there is enough take-up, the Transport Ministry is willing to ask for more funds to go towards this initiative.
Meanwhile, another €100,000 have been allocated for those purchasing pedelecs or small electric motorcycles, with last year’s funds being almost used up by more than 250 applicants. Commuters can get up to €400 each.
Transport Minister Ian Borg, who briefed the media about the figures, commended the keen interest in clean and alternative means of transport.
He meanwhile noted that these grants were also available for those who needed wheelchair-accessible vehicles or a chauffeur-driven one. A total of €100,000 are being made available to commuters who scrap their car. They can receive up to €10,000 each.
Mr Borg said that last year more than 1,860 people benefited from such schemes. This, he said, was the beginning of a culture shift, “which we would like to continue seeing so that together we can help our country benefit from improved air quality and less traffic on our roads.”
He also referred to the 24,000 youths aged between 16 and 20 who in 2018 benefited from the free public transport scheme, which this year was being extended to all youths aged14 to 20 and full-time students aged 21 or more.
Discussions are ongoing to make public transport free for people with a disability.
Highlights
The sum of €800 will be given to those registering new M1 Category Vehicles with CO2 emissions between 101 and 130g/km while M1 Vehicles with CO2 emissions up to 100g/km are eligible for €900 or the sum equivalent to the amount paid for registration tax (up to a maximum of €1,500).
Applicants registering an M1 Hybrid Vehicle with CO2 emissions between 40 and 65g/km are eligible for a grant up to €2,000.
When registering a new M1 or N1 electric vehicle while de-registering and scrapping another M1 or N1 Internal Combustion Engine vehicle at least 10 years old from the year of manufacture, commuters are eligible for a €7,000 grant. When registering an electric vehicle of the same categories without scrapping another vehicle, they are eligible for up to €6,000.
A €2,000 grant is available for applicants registering an imported second-hand M1 or N1 vehicle that is not older than 36 months and with less than 15,000 kilometres.
When registering a new electric quadricycle or a new electric motorcycle in the category L6e, L7e or L3e-A3, commuters will be eligible for €3,500.
Commercial companies are eligible for a maximum of €200,000 should they change their fleet from ICE to Electric Vehicles.
A €200 grant will be given to those who convert an M1 or N1 vehicle to Autogas or LPG.