A government grant of €150 towards the purchase of electric scooters is expected to open on Friday, according to the Transport Ministry.  

Finance Minister Clyde Caruana first signalled the move during his budget speech in October, when he said the government would give “financial help” to those purchasing an electric scooter. 

The grant is due to be introduced the same day rental e-scooters will no longer be allowed on Malta’s roads, following an announcement by the Transport Ministry in October they would be banned from March 1.  

The surprise move to ban e-scooters followed a raft of complaints from residents – especially in areas such as Sliema and St Julian’s – that the devices were often parked badly, obstructing pavements and garages, with several accidents involving pedestrians also reported.  

Speaking to Times of Malta, a spokesperson for the Transport Ministry said the government “intends to implement additional financial assistance from Friday March 1 to promote eco-friendly modes of transportation.” 

She said the grant was “expected to be made available to individuals who purchase e-scooters for personal use,” with residents of Malta eligible to receive €150 per e-scooter. 

Residents in areas including Sliema and St Julian's had complained rental scooters frequently blocked the pavement. File photo.

File photo.

File photo.

Addressing the controversies surrounding rental e-scooters, the spokesperson said the government "acknowledges the concerns regarding misuse that are associated with rented e-scooters do not reflect the use of those that are personally owned.” 

She added that the grant for private e-scooters, compared to the ban on rentals, was a “practical approach and an endorsement of the potential for personally owned e-scooters to contribute to more sustainable and efficient urban mobility.” 

The ban on rental e-scooters was first hinted at by former Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia in September when he said the government was taking stock of the situation. 

"One needs to look at the contraventions in the past few months and whether we can address that or not," Farrugia had said. 

Despite the concerns around their use, rental scooters had proved popular in Malta, especially in areas like the Sliema promenade. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli.

When announced the following month, the ban was met with “joy” from Sliema residents, according to the locality’s mayor John Pillow, and dismay from bicycle advocacy group Rota, which said the flaws in e-scooter use were due to a lack of political vision and an unwillingness to regulate the sector.  

At the time of the announcement, there were an estimated 5,000 rental e-scooters in Malta.