I’ve taken my time to read, research and think about the Labour government’s public transport plans launched yesterday under its policy campaign called “Malta in Motion.” This is what I could udnerstand from all of it. The plans were launched yesterday by Transport Minister Chris Bonett and they are being promoted to the press by Transport Malta CEO Kurt Farrugia.
It is important to note that Kurt Farrugia is a media expert and not a transport professional and previously served as Joseph Muscat’s own communications chief. This point is important because Kurt Farrugia’s PR overload risk obfuscating the fundamental facts about the government’s plans.
First of all, the plans have been conjured with Arup consultants – but this may not be very noteworthy because the consultant will work on the client’s brief with the client’s prerequisites. We still don’t understand what is Arup’s contribution in this, and potentially they may be used just as nominal mark.
The most significant feature of the plan is that the government is abandoning the idea of mass rail and metro system in Malta that systematically addresses traffic and reduces cars on the roads. Instead the government plans to build a railway-line from the airport to Saint Paul’s Bay which will roughly cost up to โฌ2.8 billion. The railway will then be linked to Mellieฤงa and potentially to Valletta.
There are no other lines planned. The metro is mentioned as it leaves the option open to extend the line underground but focus seems to be on an above-ground line.
The rest of the plan seems to be a continuation of what the government is doing already, that is, trying to improve the buys service system, increasing bicycle lanes, increasing ferries and other alternative modes of transport.
The plan is projected as a systematic approach but the systematic changes are lacking except for the new railway which is also a half-baked proposal. The rail-system is being cut-short to specifically address traffic congestion from the airport: it is not being used to systematically reduce cars from the streets.
The plan is being promoted with a lot of pomp but lacks ambition and actual targets for the reduction of cars in the streets. In fact, instead of having a target to reduce cars from the streets, the new government plans include new parking spaces for private vehicles and cars.
There is a visual which is being published below of a public space that is very pedestrianised with a bus-lane available that also mimics a European pedestrenised road. This is very attractive, but it should be noted that when the Labour government tried to do something similar in Paolo, it quickly changed track and dumped the idea altogether. The Labour government has shown little will and no leadership in turning roads into pedesetrnised spaces.
You can download the full press release here. The glossy presentation can be found hereย and also here.
Website Editor
Historian and Publisher
Leave a Reply