Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542413
3 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 7 JANUARY 2026 NEWS THE Driving Licence Sur- render Scheme was officially launched on Transport Malta's website on Tuesday morning. This new national scheme, open on a first-come, first- served basis, will allow youths not older than 30 on the date of application to surrender their driving licence for a period of five years and receive €25,000 over those five years, though a grant payment of €5,000 per year. This five-year national scheme, with a budget of €25 million from 2026 to 2030, aims to decrease "the number of persons holding and using a driving licence and, conse- quently, the number of vehi- cles circulating in the Maltese roads". This incentive is available to all youths aged 30 or under who have resided in Malta for at least 7 years and have held a Category B driving licence for at least 12 months before ap- plying. However, applicants are disqualified if their licence has ever been revoked, is current- ly suspended, or if they hold a driving licence issued by a non- EU country. Accepted applicants will re- ceive their initial €5,000 in- stalment after submitting their driving licence, once the grant is approved. The remaining payments will be distributed at each of the next four anniver- saries of this first instalment. Over these five years, select- ed applicants will be prohibit- ed from driving any vehicle in Malta or abroad, though this measure aims to reduce traffic congestion in the Maltese is- lands. At the end of these five years, applicants must apply for a new driving licence, which requires 15 hours of driving lessons at a licensed motor school. This scheme is not accessi- ble to individuals entitled to a chauffeur, such as political of- fice holders and their spouses or partners. Additionally, it is unavailable to those who re- quire a valid driving licence for their job or to public officials, including diplomats, working in foreign missions like em- bassies or representations, also extending to their spouses or partners. Accepted applicants wanting to cancel their licence suspen- sion within five years must pay Transport Malta the re- maining grant balance before reinstatement. If requested 13 months after approval, they must pay a €20,000 penal- ty. After 25 months, it drops to €15,000; at 37 months, to €5,000; and at 49 months, it remains at €5,000. Such applicants may be ex- empt from this refund pen- alty for health, work, or justi- fied reasons as determined by Transport Malta. Persons caught driving while benefitting from the scheme will face a €5,000 fine, must repay remaining grants pro- portionally from infringement date until licence suspension ends, and will face legal actions that may extend to their license suspension. During a press conference last month, Transport Minister Chris Bonett said this incen- tive is part of the government's long-term plan to reduce car culture by creating new mobili- ty options for travel. Applications are accepted un- til June 30, 2026. More details about this scheme are available on Transport Malta's website or on the application forms. NICOLE MEILAK nmeilak@mediatoday.com.mt €25,000 driving license surrender scheme launched This incentive is available to all youths aged 30 or under who have resided in Malta for at least seven years and have held a Category B driving licence for at least 12 months before applying Persons caught driving while benefitting from the scheme will face a €5,000 fine Local council concerned about project's proximity to protected parish church CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 Although the developer pre- viously reduced the project's scale by two storeys, the local council maintains that the re- sulting structure remains mas- sive and will cause irreversible damage to the visual and archi- tectural cohesion of the urban space. The project was the subject of a protest last December led by the Labour-led local council and a number of NGOs. The protest was even endorsed by Labour MPs, PL deputy pres- ident Alex Agius Saliba, and saw Finance Minister Clyde Caruana in attendance. The main concern raised by the local council is the pro- ject's proximity to the iconic and protected parish church, which is just across the street from the site. The council ar- gues that the proposed height of the retirement home will compete for attention with the church and disrupt the charac- ter of the square. The local council highlighted that the development fails to provide nine required parking spaces. As the case moves to the En- vironment and Planning Re- view Tribunal, the local council continues to warn of a poten- tial spillover effect that could permanently alter the uniform design of the town's square. The appeal was presented by lawyers Veronique Dalli and Rachel Powell. The local council continues to warn of a potential spillover effect that could permanently alter the uniform design of the town's square