Electric buses sacrificed to fund electric car subsidies [Video]

EU funds that were meant to be used to electrify Malta’s public transport have been diverted to fund subsidies for electric private cars, Robert Abela said yesterday.

“The funds that were originally meant to go towards the electrification of the bus fleet were injected into the incentives we give to those who choose to purchase an electric vehicle,” he said.

“The funds that were going to be used for the project will go to the people through the electrification of vehicles,” the prime minister said.

During a press conference on Wednesday morning, the PN revealed that the government had secretly withdrawn plans to receive over €40 million in EU funding to spend on updating Malta’s bus fleet.

As a result, the private company that runs the public transport system said its plans to electrify Malta’s bus fleet “cannot go ahead” after the government withdrew the funding.

Abela was yesterday asked why the government chose to fund private vehicles instead of …