The Nationalist Party has pointed out that three months have passed since Transport Minister Christ “ave us a presentation explaining how he was going to solve the traffic problem. Today, when we were meant to start seeing results, we are still exactly where we were.”

Worse still, the The PN insisted that the Minister “is now telling us that what was supposed to be his flagship promise, that drivers willing to give up their driving licence for five years would receive €25,000, is now stuck in traffic.”

During a press conference on Wednesday, Shadow Minister for Transport and Mobility Mark Anthony Sammut and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Capital Projects Joe Giglio said that “after Minister Chris Bonett had announced this measure with great fanfare last March, copying a measure originally proposed by the PN years ago, he has now said, just two days ago, that this will only be a pilot project, or an experiment. He was not even able to clarify who would be eligible for this pilot project. This measure was supposed to come into force by last month.”

They stressed that “the same applies to the promised ferry service to Gozo stopping at Bugibba, which was also supposed to launch this summer.”

The PN spokespersons insisted that “it is clear that when Chris Bonett presented his traffic measures he had not done his homework properly. So much so, that after he announced everything, the Finance Minister put the brakes on the €25,000 scheme for those who stop driving.”

“Following criticism that came from the sector itself and the pressure mounted by the Opposition, the Minister was also forced to make a U-turn on another measure that would have increased the number of years a vehicle needs to qualify as vintage from 30 to 35,” said the PN.

“Instead of thinking things through before announcing them, the Minister drove blindfolded and hit a wall,” stated the PN. “Not only has the Government failed to solve the traffic problem, but the daily inconvenience experienced by drivers across practically every part of the Maltese Islands continues to grow with roadworks closing streets around every corner for weeks and months on end.”

The PN spokespersons argued that “it is evident wherever you look that we have a Government trying to fix the crises it created itself, rather than leading with a plan. This is management by crisis. It is clear that many of the Government’s authorities are not working in sync, and there is a lack of communication and coordination of resources.”

“One needs only observe the chaos currently unfolding in areas such as St Julian’s, St Paul’s Bay, Mellieha, and Cirkewwa, and the total lack of traffic management wherever works are being carried out,” they said.

By contrast, the PN said that it “believes in leading with a plan, including in this sector. It believes that solving the traffic problem requires a comprehensive plan that brings together various measures, not a fragmented one announced today and changed tomorrow.”

In particular, The PN stressed that “this means implementing a mass transit system and significantly improving and expanding the public transport service.”

It concluded by saying that, “to achieve this, there must be a serious will to provide the Maltese and Gozitan people with real solutions for a better quality of life. A will that, so far, the Government has only shown in words but has failed to deliver in practice.”

Photo: PN

Permalink: Traffic, dust and frustration: Chris Bonett promised a lot but delivered little – PN