This April, the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, Dr Ian Borg, announced the largest package of transport financial grants ever awarded through Transport Malta. These schemes are a demonstration of the strategy and commitment of the Authority for Transport in Malta (Transport Malta) to continue making a difference in order to achieve our main goal as well as to maintain our European commitment. The grants incentivise the registering of new environment-friendly vehicles. The five grants are based on schemes as follows:

1) Gas Conversion Scheme to Convert Vehicles to Autogas/LPG

Grant amounts to €400 which will be given upon the conversion to Autogas/LPG of a Category M1 vehicle (passenger car) or a Category N1 vehicle (goods carrying). A grant of €800 will be paid when a heavy-duty motor vehicle is retrofitted with HDDF system resulting in a reduction of smoke emissions of at least 25 per cent.

2) Grant Scheme on the Purchaseof New Environment-Friendly M1 vehicles (passenger cars)

This consists of an equivalent amount of registration tax paid on that vehicle, which is capped by a maximum monetary amount and an emission level requirement.

The grant shall be given upon the purchase of a new M1 or a M1 Hybrid vehicle that qualifies for the grant scheme whilst at the same time de-registering a M1 or N1 vehicle. Eligible persons shall be entitled to only one grant under this scheme whereas NGOs may apply under this scheme provided that they carry out an economic activity. They are also to make sure that they do not exceed the state aid thresholds established in the De Minimis Regulation.

3) Grant Scheme on the Purchase of new Environment-Friendly M1 vehicles

This consists of grants on the purchase of electric vehicles to promote electromobility for Individuals, Local Councils, registered NGOs, and private companies.

Registered businesses and registered Private Companies, and the amount of grant as stipulated in De Minimis Regulations (i.e. a maximum of  €200,000 in De Minimis aid per single undertaking over a period of three consecutive fiscal years or €100,000  in the case of undertaking performing road freight transport for hire or reward) and grant can be availed with a mix and match of vehicles as follows.

Commitment to continue making a difference

4) Government Grant including scrappage scheme on the purchase of pedelecs and Category L vehicles. Grant A:

Grant B: €1,000 when a person who registers a new pedelec or Category L vehicle eligible for Grant A de-registers a Category M1 or N1 vehicle which is older than 10 years from its year of manufacture or €500 when a person who registers a new pedelec or Category L vehicle eligible for Grant A de-registers a Category L vehicle which is older than 10 years from its year of manufacture.

5) Purchase of new wheelchair accessible vehicles to be used as taxis or as a Passenger Transport Vehicle

Persons who own a Taxi licence, Light Passenger Transport Operator Licence, or Carriage of Passenger Operator Licence, may receive a grant amounting to €10,000 when licensing a new M1, M2, or M3 vehicle which is wheelchair accessible and used under any of these licences, and at the same time de-register another M1, N1, M2, or M3 vehicle which is at least 10 years old from its year of manufacture which had a valid circulation licence issued in Malta for the past five years and is registered and licensed in their name.

This grant only applies when another vehicle with an internal combustion engine having at least 10 years from the year of its manufacture and which had a valid licence for the past five years is de-registered and scrapped at an authorised destruction facility.

All related information, grant amounts, technical requirements, application forms, eligibility criteria, together with all related full publications, can be found on Transport Malta’s website www.transport.gov.mt or obtained by contacting the Authority on info.tm@transport.gov.mt.