Malta promotes participation in EUROPEAN MOBILITY WEEK 2023 by offering a grant scheme

Malta’s Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects teams up with Transport Malta to promote active participation at this year’s EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK. It is running two competitions for local councils and NGOs, focusing on the topics of:

• pedestrianised zones in urban cores;
• the promotion of cycle lanes in towns and villages.

The competition for permanent sustainable mobility measures calls for applications to tackle congestion, air pollution and the lack of accessibility in urban cores using pedestrianisation and cycling lanes as possible solutions. The winner of the competition will be awarded EUR 50,000, and the second and third place will receive EUR 30,000 each.

The competition for small events and activities provides grants for organising a car-free day (EUR 1,500), coordinating a week of activities during EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK (EUR 2,000) or for combining both (EUR 2,500).

Both competitions aim at increasing the participation of Maltese councils and NGOs at the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2023. Aaron Farrugia, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, stated: “Through these schemes, we can develop tangible infrastructure for the people in urban areas where people work and live. I look forward to seeing interesting proposals put forward and in turn, projects come to fruition. These schemes go hand in hand with our plan to give back to the people areas which are not entirely dominated by excessive vehicle use.”

In addition to the competitions, other measures are also in place:

• Educational booklets on sustainable mobility and road safety are being distributed to all students of the last grade of secondary schools.
• Transport Malta and the Maltese NGO Nature Trust are offering support to schools for developing Green Travel Plans for teachers and students.
• Transport Malta also organises a cycling course for road engineers, architects and other interested parties on good practises in shared road designs, which includes applications of elaborated solutions on Maltese roads.

Article published first at The Malta Independent on 14 July 2023.