Alternattiva Demokratika ?g?a?ag? – Green Youth, has said that Maltese people deserve a decent public transport service. "The current transport system is still not good enough since some of the new routes do not adequately serve users and the frequency of many routes is still too low."

ADZ said that after the previous Government's disaster much more needs to be done to make public transport a viable commuting option.

"ADZ cannot accept that the same mistakes are being repeated time and time again. The introduction of the new routes was far from effective."

"Some of the new bus routes are still too long and unreliable. ADZ asked, "how can one plan a trip if the frequency of the bus is only once an hour and winds along long stretches of side roads before reaching the central destinations?"

ADZ chairperson Marc' Andrea Cassar stated, "the continuous failure of successive governments to provide a functioning public transport service forces thousands of young people to take up driving every year. This results in increased traffic and parking problems which also lead to the generation of pollution.

"Investment in public transport needs to be adequate and public transport vehicles should have priority on the roads in order to provide a fast and efficient service. Coupled with this, investment is needed on safe cycling routes and incentives for the use of bicycles and pedelecs. Safe routes to the major educational institutions would be a very good start – University, Junior College, Higher Secondary and MCAST."

ADZ spokesperson Matthew Seychell further said that, "driving a car is expensive, especially for young people. Yet we are being forced to drive because the transport system is simply not good enough."

He continued, "we need to address the driving culture whereby many young people apply for their driving license as soon as they turn 18. We may even try to tackle the problem by introducing other options such as a light rail system which could potentially revolutionise the transport system."

Seychell said that ADZ is also asking for incentivising the use of bicycles and pedelecs for commuting – "for this to happen safe routes need to be established together with ensuring that road regulations offer protection to commuting cyclists who contribute to reducing motor vehicle traffic, reduce the pressure on public transport services especially on the very busy routes and above all contribute to reducing dangerous pollution."

Permalink: Public Transport improved, but is still not good enough – ADZ