Malta, Europe’s smallest country, has one of the highest vehicle densities on the continent and traffic congestion is a constant issue. To mitigate this problem, authorities have come up with an ingenious program titled “Driving License Surrender Scheme,” which is designed to incentivise people to surrender their driver’s license for a period of up to five years.
Tuesday, 24 March 2026
Malta Will Pay Young Drivers $29,000 to Surrender Their License for Five Years
Weirdness Level7/10
🌀 Very Strange
“Malta has launched a scheme offering young drivers €25,000 to surrender their driving licenses for five years — essentially paying people to stop wanting a car. The catch: once surrendered, the license is permanently suspended, and you'll need 15 hours of lessons to ever legally drive again. Initial interest has been described as "very high," which says something about either Malta's traffic or the state of millennial finances.”
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