The Nationalist Party has said that it ”supports the pilot project initiative involving the first autonomous bus, which is currently being tested in San Lawrenz, Gozo, and recognises the work of all the entities involved.”

The Party described it as an ”interesting and positive step towards a more modern, intelligent and sustainable public transport system.”

This initiative, being carried out by Malta Public Transport in collaboration with the University of Malta and the Ministry for Sustainable Mobility as part of the European metaCCAZE project, demonstrates how research and innovation can be used to address practical problems in everyday life.

The vehicle is fully electric and uses technologies such as LiDAR, cameras, GPS and artificial intelligence to interpret its surroundings and travel along a predetermined route. During this pilot phase, a trained operator will also remain on board for safety reasons.

”This is precisely the type of innovation Malta should be exploring,” stated the PN.

It stressed that in a small country facing ever-increasing pressure on its roads and public transport system, technology must be used to make services more efficient, frequent and reliable. ”At the same time, it can help us increase productivity instead of addressing every labour shortage simply by expanding the workforce.”

However, it pointed out that ”automation is not a substitute for workers. Rather, it should be a tool that enables us to deploy workers where their contribution is needed most, while allowing technology to assume a greater role wherever this can be done safely and efficiently.”

The PN stressed that this vision is also consistent with the direction being proposed by the Nationalist Party: a modern, integrated mobility system that makes effective use of technology, ranging from new mass-transit systems to digital integration and training in new mobility skills. The PN said that its proposals also include investment in developing Maltese workers’ skills in transport technologies, among other areas, to reduce Malta’s long-term dependence on foreign expertise.

”However, this project should be the beginning, not an isolated experiment. We should examine how such technologies could eventually be used for feeder services, short routes, park-and-ride facilities, mobility hubs, campuses, hospitals and localities where a traditional full-sized bus service may not always be the most efficient option,” the PN said.

”If we want to reduce traffic, we must provide people with better alternatives. And if we want better alternatives, we must be prepared to use tomorrow’s technology today,” the Party said.

The statement was issued by Ivan Castillo Shadow Minister for Sustainable Mobility and George Vital Zammit Spokesperson for Research and Innovation.

File photo: MPT

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