Meta pajjiż sħiħ jegħreq kull darba li tinżel ix-xita, dan ifisser li l-affarijiet mhumiex qegħdin isiru kif suppost. L-ippjanar ħażin tat-toroq hu wieħed mill-problemi ewlenin. Għadd kbir ta’ toroq m’għandhomx l-infrastruttura meħtieġa sabiex l-ilma jinġabar. Hekk, dan l-ilma jintilef għaliex ħadd qatt ma ħaseb sabiex jinħażen ġewwa ġiebja taħt l-art.  Għal għexieren ta’ snin, traskuraġni irresponsabbli minn gverninjiet suċċessivi u awtoritajiet bħal dik tal-ippjanar qatt ma ndenjaw ruħhom jenforzaw il-ġbir tal-ilma mill-bini fi bjar jew ġwiebi. Dan ifisser li l-ilma tax-xita kull darba jifqa’ s-sistema tad-drenaġġ u b’hekk iwassal għal tniġġis tal-baħar u żbroff ta’ drenaġġ fit-toroq.

Sandra Gauci, Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party qalet: “Fl-imgħoddi, ix-xita konna nqisuha barka għax kienet issaqqi u tagħti l-ħajja lill-għelieqi u s-siġar tagħna. Dawn issa qegħdin jintilfu u għalhekk, ix-xita qajla għadha taqdi din il-funzjoni. Il-pajjiż qiegħed jgħaddi minn proċess ta’ deżertifikazzjoni u qiegħda dejjem tikber id-dipendenza tagħna fuq ir-reverse osmosis. Dan juri n-nuqqas ta’ għaqal tagħna li qatt ma ħsibna sabiex nikkonservaw l-ilma tax-xita. Missirijietna kienu ferm aktar għaqlin minna għax bnew akwedotti, ġwiebi u bjar sabiex tinġabar sa lanqas qatra ilma. Dan kollu aħna nsejnieh u l-konsegwenzi narawhom kull darba li tinżel ix-xita. Pjanar serju għall-mobilità u t-trasport qatt ma kien hemm u l-għargħar fit-toroq ikompli jgħarraq is-sitwazzjoni. Jidher ċar li toroq ġodda ma swewx sabiex itaffu l-problema tat-traffiku. B’mod urġenti, hemm bżonn  programm nazzjonali sabiex l-ilma tax-xita mill-bjut kollha jinġabar u jinħażen. Min-naħa l-oħra, hemm bżonn li bla dewmien inrażżnu żvilupp eċċessiv li ma jħallix l-art tixrob l-ilma. Għandna bżonn ukoll rivoluzzjoni fit-trasport, imsejsa fuq pjanar għas-sostenibilità. Qatt ma żammejna lura milli b’mod ċar u tond, nisħqu dwar il-ħtieġa ta’ bidla qawwija fil-mentalità tagħna rigward il-mobilità. Partiti oħra la għandhom il-kuraġġ u lanqas ir-rieda sabiex jagħmlu dak li hu meħtieġ. Il-kollega tiegħi, Ralph Cassar se jispjega proposta oħra li ilna nisħqu dwarha żmien twil, dik ta’ Bus Rapid Transit. Aħna l-affarijiet ngħiduhom ċar u tond, u bla kantunieri.”

Ralph Cassar, is-Segretarju Generali ta’ ADPD – The Green Party qal: “Sabiex it-trasport ikun tassew sostenibbli, hemm bżonn li nagħtu prijorita’ lin-nies, u mhux lill-karozzi. Il-toroq tagħna ilhom żmien twil dominati minn vetturi privati bil-konsegwenza ta’ konġestjoni, tniġġis, u kundizjonijiet ta’ periklu għal nies vulnerabbli. ADPD – The Green Party jemmen li bla dewmien, il-pajjiz għandu bżonn rivoluzzjoni fil-mobilità, msejsa fuq l-effiċjenza, inklussività u responsabilità ambjentali.

Il-viżjoni tagħna hi ta’ sistema ta’ trasport li tgħaqqad il-kommunitajiet b’mod sigur u effiċjenti, tnaqqas id-dipendenza fuq karozzi privati u li tkun kompatibbli mal-għanijiet ambjentali ta’ Malta. Dan kollu jeħtieġ li nagħtu ferm aktar importanza lit-trasport pubbliku, ir-roti u l-użu ta’ vetturi minn għadd ta’ persuni flimkien.

ADPD – The Green Party jemmen li Malta teħtieġ Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bħala l-qafas ta’ strateġija ta’ mobilità sostenibbli. Ta’ kuljum f’Malta nħabbtu wiċċna ma’ konġestoni qawwija fit-toroq tagħna, emissjonijiet u dħahen, u toroq mimlijin perikli; konsegwenza ta’ sistema li m’għadhiex taqdi lin-nies għaliex tiddependi żżejjed fuq l-użu tal-karozzi. Sistema ta’ BRT toffri soluzzjoni fi żmien pjuttost qasir u bi spiża raġonevoli sabiex inbiddlu r-realtà tat-trasport f’Malta.

L-oħrajn qishom iffissaw fuq metro. Sistema ta’ metro tieħu snin twal sabiex tinbena, u tkun ta’ piż qawwi fuq il-finanzi pubbliċi. Min-naħa l-oħra, sistema ta’ BRT, li toffri effiċjenza simili ta’ metro tista’ ssir realta’ f’qasir żmien. L-esperjenza f’pajjiżi oħra turi li passaġġi għall-BRT jieħdu biss sentejn sabiex jinbnew, filwaqt li sistema ta’ metro taħt l-art tieħu għexieren ta’ snin. Dan ifisser li BRT hija s-soluzzjoni ideali għall-kriżi ta’ konġestjoni u arja mniġġsa li għandna f’Malta.

Il-viżjoni ta’ ADPD-The Green Party hija ta’ bus lanes apposta, rotot diretti bejn il-lokalitajiet u li tingħata prijorità lit-trasport pubbliku f’toroq arterjali. Sistema ta’ BRT twassal għal dan kollu: l-ispazju fit-toroq jingħata lin-nies, titnaqqas id-dipendenza tagħna fuq il-karozzi u tipprovdi mobilità effiċjenti u aċċessibbli b’impatt minimu fuq il-klima; sistema li minnha jibbenefika kulħadd – studenti, ħaddiema, persuni bi bżonnijiet speċjali kif ukoll nies mexjin fit-triq. BRT jikkonforma mal-Master Plan tat-trasport nazzjonali u l-prinċipju ta’ “15 minute city”, u jwassal għal arja iktar nadifa, toroq aktar siguri u komunitajiet lokali aktar b’saħħithom; flimkien ma’ infrastruttura għar-roti u żoni pedonali, BRT twassal għal bidla sħiħa fil-mobilita’ tagħna.

Strateġiji li jagħtu prijorità lill-karozzi huma biss soluzzjonijiet temporanji u ma jagħmlux ġid. Bus Rapid Transit hija soluzjoni prattika, tiswa inqas u tagħti prijorità lin-nies. Hi soluzzjoni li tqarreb lil pajjiżna lejn is-sostenibilità. Din hi l-viżjoni tagħna, imfissra fid-dokument tagħna Green Over Greed – A Green Vision 2050. Dak li tassew għandna bżonn hu rieda soda sabiex nittrasformaw il-mobilita’ tagħna. Bidla minn twessiegħ tat-toroq għal toroq għal kulħadd; minn traffiku staġnat għal aċċess pubbliku; bidla minn dipendenza għal reżiljenza.

***

Floods, congestion and mobility – our solutions

When an entire country floods every time it rains, it means that many things are not being done as they should. One of the biggest problems is road planning. Many roads do not have adequate drainage systems to collect and channel rainwater. This water ends up being wasted because we never thought of storing it in underground reservoirs. It is also an issue because of decades of irresponsible neglect by successive governments and authorities like the Planning Authority, which never bothered to enforce collection of water from buildings in wells or reservoirs. This means rainwater overwhelming the sewage system causing sea pollution, and sewage flooding our streets.

ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci said:”There was a time when rain was considered a blessing, because it watered the fields and the trees. Now that these are disappearing, rain has also lost that purpose. For a country that is moving toward desertification and depending on reverse osmosis, we have shown how weak we are in conserving rainwater. Our forefathers were wiser than we are: they built aqueducts, cisterns, and wells to collect every drop of water. We, on the other hand, have ignored this, and it is clearly visible on our roads every time it rains. Of course all this exacerbates the lack of foresight in another area, that of mobility. More roads obviously did not solve anything, and floods of both rainwater and sewage only make things worse. As regards rain water, first of all a national programme for the collection of rain water from all roofs is now urgent, secondly, overdevelopment, which means the sealing of more and more land, making it impermeable to rainwater must be tackled head on. Then we need a Green inspired revolution in mobility. We have not shied away from telling the truth about the need for a shift in mentality when it comes to mobility. The other parties do not have the political courage or will to do the right thing. My colleague Ralph Cassar will explain one of our long-standing mobility proposals, a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. We’re brutally honest, no smokescreens and untruths.”

ADPD-The Green Party Secretary General Ralph Cassar said:”A truly sustainable transport policy must prioritise people, not cars. Malta’s roads have long been dominated by private vehicles, resulting in congestion, pollution, and unsafe conditions for vulnerable road users. ADPD-The Green Party believes that the country urgently needs a mobility revolution based on efficiency, inclusiveness, and environmental responsibility.

Our vision is a transport system that connects communities safely and efficiently, reduces dependence on private cars, and aligns with Malta’s climate goals. This requires a decisive modal shift toward public transport, cycling, walking, and shared mobility. 

ADPD – The Green Party strongly believes that Malta must adopt a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system as the backbone of a sustainable mobility strategy. Our islands face daily gridlock, rising emissions, and unsafe streets — all symptoms of a car-dependent system that no longer serves people. A BRT system offers the fastest, most cost-effective path to transform Malta’s transport reality.

Unlike costly megaprojects such as the proposed metro, which would take years to build and burden public finances, BRT can deliver metro-like speed and reliability at a fraction of the cost. International experience shows that BRT corridors can be built within two years, while underground systems require decades. This makes BRT the right solution for Malta’s urgent congestion and air-quality crisis.

ADPD-The Green Party’s transport vision calls for dedicated bus lanes, direct routes between localities, and priority for public transport on major roads. A BRT system embodies this vision: it reclaims road space for people, reduces car dependency, and provides efficient, accessible, and climate-friendly mobility for all, from pedestrians, students and workers to the elderly and persons with disability. Implementing BRT aligns with the National Transport Master Plan and the 15-minute city principle, ensuring cleaner air, safer streets, and stronger local communities. It also complements cycling infrastructure and pedestrian zones, key steps toward a comprehensive modal shift.

Malta cannot afford more short-term, car-centric policies. Bus Rapid Transit is the practical, affordable, and people-first solution that will put our country on the road to sustainability.  This is our vision, as explained also in our alternative vision: Green Over Greed – A Green Vision 2050. Malta cannot afford more short-term, car-centred projects. What we need is a clear, sustained commitment to sustainable mobility, a shift from road-widening to road-sharing, from traffic jams to public access, and from dependency to resilience.