Watch: €6,000 to ditch your car licence? Teens outside college aren’t sold yet

A government proposal offering a €6,000 cash grant to teens who opt to use a scooter instead of obtaining a car driving licence for four years, has sparked mixed reactions among students.

Times of Malta spoke to young people outside Junior College who would be directly affected by the scheme.

Seventeen-year-old Mihail Jakonojavić said he was initially intrigued by the proposal but ultimately decided against it.

“Not having a licence till 21. I don’t think it is worth it in the end,” he said. “Time is more important than money,” he added, explaining that while he could earn the money back later in life, Malta’s current public transport system made it unfeasible for him to give up the freedom of having a driving licence.

Sixteen-year-old Bettina Frendo Jones agreed. She had no interest in giving up the opportunity to drive. “I wouldn’t do it because I would like to drive and have my independence at the age of 18,” she said.

Time is more important than money – Mihail Jakonojavić, 17

Luca Dalli, 17, was similarly unconvinced. “I would prefer to drive a car in peace, rather than a scooter. God knows how long it will take you to get to the other side of the island,” he said.

Dalli, along with his two friends Miguel Costa and Jay Cardona, all said they would rather have a car than a scooter. Dalli went as far as to say the only scenario in which he would consider giving up his car licence would be if the grant were increased. “I would consider it if it was €10,000 because like that you can buy a decent car when you turn 22 (or when the four years are up),” he said.

Luca Dalli, Miguel Costa and Jay Cardona.

His friends, however, were firm in their stance, arguing that no amount of money would ever be enough to justify giving up the freedom that comes with being able to drive.

Dean Vella Caruana had a more neutral stance and said he believed the €6,000 offer was “fair enough”. “Anyway, at 17, what car will you be driving? Even with insurance, for four years, you won’t be able to drive anything that special,” he said. However, Caruana added he had no intention of choosing a scooter over a car. “I am really into cars,” he said. “It’s not that I am against it (the offer), but you drive what you want to drive.”

Sixteen-year-old Julian Zahra said he would take the offer. “€6,000 is not a bad price for not driving,” he said, adding that he had already been considering getting a scooter. “In reality, I was already thinking about buying a scooter, but my mum said you should get a car and stay safe.”

Bettina Frendo Jones and Julian Zahra.

Letitia Camilleri, also 16, was enthusiastic about the idea and said she didn’t even hesitate. “Wow, sure!” she said, explaining she had no plans to get a driver’s licence anyway. “I’m not going to drive. I won’t be getting a driver’s licence at 17. I don’t feel like driving. It’s an effort,” she said.

The proposal is part of a wider package of incentives aimed at easing road congestion. If enacted, the measure would see 17-year-olds receive €1,500 annually for four years if they delay obtaining a car licence until the age of 21.

To ensure mobility in the meantime, authorities also plan to lower the minimum scooter driving age to 17, in line with EU-wide changes to minimum driving ages.