Motor Vehicles Bill given second reading

The House of Representatives has given a second reading to a Bill amending the Motor Vehicles Act.

The Bill aims to prevent abuse in the importation of cars and the use, for long term lease, of vehicles registered for short time hire.

Parliamentary Secretary Tony Abela pointed out that vehicles being transshipped through Malta would not need to be registered here. Vehicles used for the public service, charitable institutions, the disabled and the Armed Forces, were exempt from the registration duty.

Speaking about traffic in general, Notary Abela said the government was investing heavily on the roads and the improvement was evident.

In the past 15 years, the number of registered cars has increased from 50,000 to 270,000. Clearly, one should start looking at this commodity in a different way. For example, cars should carry more than one person. This, Dr Abela said, was a technical Bill which provided for the regulation of new and second-hand cars in the same way as other EU countries.

Dr Abela praised the ADT for doing remarkable work in clamping down on the abusive use of Y-plate and Z-plate cars.

Winding up, Transport Minister Jesmond Mugliett said this bill addressed loopholes being utilised by those who wanted to evade paying the full registration tax.

Abuses were reported concerning imported second-hand vehicles disguised as commercial ones and the way vehicles registered for short term lease were hired for long periods.

In terms of this bill, vehicles belonging to foreigners could retain their foreign number plate for six months. This applied, notably, for foreign students in Malta.