The Maltese National Youth Council has expressed disappointment with the newly introduced government scheme offering individuals aged 18 to 30 up to €25,000 over five years in exchange for surrendering their driving license for the same period, arguing that the measure will have limited impact and fails to address Malta's structural transport problems.
In a Facebook post Thursday, the Youth Council said that while it acknowledged the intention behind the measure, namely to reduce traffic congestion and promote sustainable mobility, it is concerned about the effectiveness and prioritisation of public funds.
"With an allocation of €5 million annually, the scheme can at most lead to the temporary removal of only 1000 drivers from the road throughout the course of the scheme," the council said.
It said that this represents a limited impact, particularly when the same investment could instead be directed towards addressing the root causes of car dependency in Malta and improving public transport infrastructure.
"Reducing 1000 private cars is particularly limited in impact when compared to the approximately 469 vehicle licences issued each week in 2025, according to the National Statistics Office," the council said.
The council said that young people have repeatedly expressed that no financial incentive would convince them to give up their car under the current public transport system.
It said that youths have also cited poor infrastructure for pedestrians and other alternative forms of transportation, including cycling, as further reasons preventing them from considering giving up their license.
"This highlights a fundamental issue: individuals cannot be expected to abandon private vehicles unless they are first provided with a public transport system that is reliable, efficient, and trustworthy," the council said.
It added that this challenge is even more pronounced for young people living in towns further away from central areas, where buses often run infrequently, are overcrowded, and primarily connect only to major hubs such as Valletta or the University.
Rather than focusing on short-term incentive schemes with limited reach, the council said that public funds should prioritise long-term improvements to public transport.
"These include increasing bus frequency to improve reliability and comfort, creating more direct routes between smaller towns and key destinations such as Valletta, Sliema, the University and Mater Dei, and introducing inter-town shuttle services that reduce the need to travel through major hubs for short journeys," it said.
The council said it does, however, welcome recent initiatives such as the expansion of Park and Ride facilities in areas like Addolorata and Ta' Qali, which help reduce congestion in busy areas while offering a practical alternative to driving.
It said that these initiatives should be better promoted to ensure wider public awareness and usage.
"Investing these €5 million in an accessible and reliable public transport system has the potential to remove thousands of cars from Malta's roads, rather than temporarily reducing just 1000, while also discouraging young people who have not yet obtained a driving license from doing so if they can reliably depend on public transport," it said.
The council said that this can only be achieved by addressing the structural issues within the transport system first, rather than relying on limited incentive schemes that place the burden of change on individuals without providing viable alternatives.
The statement was endorsed by the Malta Health Students' Association (MHSA), JEF Malta, Junior Chamber of Advocates, Studenti Demokristjani Maltin (SDM), GUG, Malta Model United Nations Society, GħSL - Malta Law Students' Society, Kollettiv Żgħażagħ EkoXellugin, Kunsill Studenti Universitarji (KSU), Malta Medical Students' Association (MMSA), and the Malta International Relations Student Association (MIRSA).