And Malta gives 25 thousand euros to young people who give up their driving license for five years: it is the anti-traffic recipe

The scene, good or bad, could be this: a twenty-year-old shows up at the Transport Malta counter, hands over their driver's license, signs a declaration committing to not get behind the wheel for the next five years, and in return, receives a total check of 25,000 euros.

This is not the latest idea from a content creator on YouTube, but a public measure in effect since January 2026 on the Island of the Knights.

Malta, a country with very high population density and one of the highest motorization rates, has become an open-air social laboratory. Not out of pride: according to a recent ranking, the island has climbed to the second place on the world podium for road slowness, with drivers in the capital, Valletta, forced to waste up to 94 hours a year stuck in traffic jams during peak hours.

From this daily paralysis comes an idea that is as simple as it is radical: defuse congestion by paying citizens not to drive.

However, the benefit is reserved only for young people: to qualify, one must be under 31 years old, be a stable resident in Malta for at least seven years, and hold a category B driver's license for no less than twelve months. No shortcuts or tricks for newly licensed drivers.

For these under 31s, the package is worth 25,000 euros divided into five annual payments of 5,000 euros (the first immediately, at the time of returning the “pink document”), a liquidity that can become leverage for traveling, studying, or starting a life project.

Those who sign the pact not only give up their own car: they commit to not driving any motor vehicle – from sports cars to vans, to motorcycles – for 60 months. The ban knows no borders: renting a small car during vacations abroad is also excluded.

A way out is provided for second thoughts: once a year, within 30 days of the anniversary of the renunciation, one can request the reactivation of the driver's license. However, the penalties are strict and involve the return of the “uncollected” portion according to a decreasing table, except for justified health or work reasons, evaluated by a special commission.

And for those who stoically resist until the finish line of the five-year term? The return to driving is not automatic: it will be mandatory to attend 15 hours of lessons at an authorized driving school, a "check-up" to refresh reflexes and skills.

With an initial budget of 5 million euros for 2026 and a "first come, first served" procedure active until June 2026, unless funds run out, Malta is experimenting with much more than a traffic policy. It is a test of cultural paradigm shift. The Maltese Generation Z will have to demonstrate whether buses and walking, supported by a heavier bank account, can be more attractive – and sustainable – than a small car stuck in traffic.