ADPD – The Green Party has stated that excessive crowding on buses, as reported recently on multiple occasions in the local media over the last few months, ”is a sign that public transport is in high demand, but is at the bottom of the list for a government that chooses to prioritise the use of private vehicles.”
Party chairperson Sandra Gauci said that the Green Party has long insisted that the foundation for a holistic transport system is having an ”efficient, affordable, and fast public transport system that is given priority on the roads.”
She added ”that is why the party has long proposed the introduction of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), with dedicated lanes for buses, more direct routes, priority traffic signs, and frequent bus service. This would truly make public transport an alternative to private car usage, and this can be done in relatively little time and at a fraction of the cost of projects that would take years to finish. These proposals are based on the principle that people are given priority over cars.”
Ms Gauci insisted that ”if we truly want to reduce traffic, we need to be ready to take bold decisions. The government has shown very little courage for many years. Wider roads are built, but at the same time, this shows a reluctance to prioritise public transport by allocating space for the necessary lanes. Until buses are stuck in lanes shared by private vehicles, we cannot expect miracles to happen and expect efficiency overnight.”
”We cannot continue to ignore the impact that overtourism is having on our infrastructure,” she warned. ”The increase in visitor numbers is putting pressure on our infrastructure and other essential services. The politics of transport needs to be aligned with a politics that considers sustainability essential to tourism and urban planning for our country.”
”Proposals such as cheap or free taxis may seem to be attractive at a glance, but they are hollow solutions that would increase dependence on car usage. Increasing the number of vehicles on the road would lead to greater congestion whilst failing to meet demand,” said Ms Gauci.
She stressed that ”the true solution lies in making public transport the most convenient and efficient choice, together with a variety of other modes of transport – clean transport – on safer roads, such as bicycles, e-bikes, and scooters.”
”We frequently hear about magical solutions that can be attained through modern technology and artificial intelligence. Whilst we hear much about how these can improve traffic management, it is a fact that they cannot solve the impact that the ever-increasing number of vehicles on the road will have, and in the end, will not solve anything. No algorithm can keep up with every road and the cars they bear,” said Ms Gauci.
”No algorithm can help political goodwill prioritise public transport or encourage alternative means of transport that would reduce private car dependence whilst building a model of sustainable mobility for the greater good.
”Malta needs leadership that takes courageous decisions, not empty slogans or solutions that offer short-term relief. Change will take time and will be difficult, but it needs to be done,” concluded Ms Gauci.
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