TM officials ignored as €5 million scheme expected to reduce drivers by just 0.07%

Senior Transport Malta (TM) officials are livid with Transport Minister Chris Bonett over his insistence on launching a cash-for-driving-licence scheme, despite internal advice urging him to scrap the idea as it was a waste of public funds.

Speaking to The Shift on condition of anonymity, senior TM officials said the Minister was warned as early as last year that the proposal was nonsensical. The scheme also encountered resistance within the cabinet, with several ministers reportedly questioning its rationale.

Although the scheme, as announced, has since been scaled down from an original €15 million budget to €5 million, officials insist it remains ineffective and will make no meaningful difference to Malta’s traffic situation.

“No one at TM believes in this scheme, not even the most senior and politically appointed officials,” the sources said.

“However, Bonett reacted badly to the advice he was given and insisted on pushing ahead, primarily to save face after making premature public announcements last year.”

According to the sources, there is also widespread internal scepticism that the initiative will attract interest from drivers under the age of 30 who intend to continue living in Malta.

Official National Statistics Office data show that by the end of 2024 there were more than 285,000 valid driving licences in Malta, with the total increasing by around 400 every month.

Under the new scheme, only the first 200 applicants will be eligible on a first-come, first-served basis.

As a result, the total number of licences would be reduced by just 0.07 per cent when compared with 2024 figures – equivalent to the number of new licences issued by Transport Malta in approximately 15 days.

Participants who surrender their driving licence will receive €5,000 per year, up to a maximum of €25,000 over the duration of the scheme.

“The minister has clearly been taken for a ride by whoever proposed this idea,” TM officials said. “It is absurd, and we cannot understand how the finance minister is allowing such a waste of taxpayers’ money.”

The Shift had previously reported internal resistance to the proposal.

When Bonett first presented the scheme to the cabinet several months ago, many ministers – including Finance Minister Clyde Caruana – objected immediately, telling him that it made little sense.

Originally, Bonett had proposed allocating €15 million annually to the scheme and other traffic-reduction measures. He also wanted it to be open to all drivers, a move sources said would have allowed it to be used for political purposes.

Following cabinet objections, Prime Minister Robert Abela instructed Bonett to go back to the drawing board, present the initiative as a pilot project and reduce the funding to €5 million. Abela told his colleagues that the move would be intended to allow the minister to appear responsive to growing criticism over Malta’s worsening traffic congestion.