Air is cleaner, but it’s no thanks to Government. Alternattiva Demokratika noted that it had long been calling for a reform within the transport sector to improve air quality. However, both Nationalist and Labour governments resisted such calls and only implemented measures targeting the energy sector, although even there the measures are hardly enough, while neglecting transport, which the party described as the ‘elephant in the room’. Indeed the Nationalist Party wants cheaper fuel, leading to more pollution and more health issues. The PL and PN take it in turns to display their shortsightedness, depending which of them is in opposition, to promise cheap, polluting fossil fuels.

The party reiterated that road transport was a major contributor to air pollution according to the Malta’s National Air Pollution Control Plan, and further noted that air quality improved with reduced traffic as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Alternattiva Demokratika spokesperson and Secretary General Ralph Cassar stated, “We cannot continue taking road traffic for granted. Solutions do exist, but we need to have the courage to move forward with them. We need a new normal, where we focus on preventing illness rather than curing it. This approach is essential as it will not only save lives, but also save money.”

“The solutions are two-fold: both incentives and disincentives are required. Sustainable travel modes like bicycles and pedelecs need adequate safe infrastructure all across the Maltese Islands, whereas public transport needs many more bus lanes, and much more investment to further increase routes. A Bus Rapid Transit system is a must.”

“We oppose road widening, because it is not only destructive from a land use perspective, but also counter-productive as it encourages people to drive and emit more pollution. We support low emission zones, along with restricting traffic in village centres. These measures have been successfully tested in numerous European towns and cities, and have not only improved air quality, but also brought a new life within town and city centres.”

Ralph Cassar concluded, “People’s health should always come first, and it is for this reason that we demand a new normal!”

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Il-kwalità tal-arja tajba minħabba l-Covid-19, irriduha tajba dejjem – Alternattiva Demokratika

Filwaqt li huwa rappurtat li l-kwalità tal-arja tjiebet fl-aħħar ġimgħat, dan żgur mhux grazzi għall-Gvern. Alternattiva Demokratika ilha ssejjaħ għal riforma effettiva fil-qasam tat-trasport bil-għan li titjieb b’mod dejjiem l-kwalità tal-arja. Il-verità hija li kemm gvernijiet Nazzjonalisti u Laburisti dejjem naqsu milli jimplimentaw politika serja dwar it-trasport. Il-ftit miżuri li ttieħdu huma fil-qasam tal-enerġija, għalkemm anke hemm għad baqa’ ħafna aktar xi jsir. Il-PL u l-PN dejjem evitaw r-riforma li hija tant ovvja li għandha ssir biex titjieb il-kwalità tal-arja, riforma mill-qiegħ fit-trasport. Minflok il-PN illum irid fuels fossili irħas biex iħajjar aktar tniġġis u mard. Skont min ikun fl-oppożizzjoni kemm il-PN, kif ukoll il-PL dejjem iwegħdu fuel irħis li jħammeġ u jmarrad minflok jipproponu politika serja biex jitnaqqas it-tniġġis mit-traffiku.

Il-Pjan Nazzjonali għall-Kontroll tat-Tniġġis tal-Arja (NAPCP) juri b’mod ċar li t-trasport huwa kontributur ewlieni għat-tniġġis tal-arja. F’dawn il-ġimgħat huwa ovvju wkoll li l-kwalità tal-arja tjiebet mhux minħabba l-politika tat-trasport tal-Gvern imma minħabba l-pandemija Covid-19.

Il-kelliem u Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika Ralph Cassar qal, “Mhux aċċettabbli li l-Gvern jibqa’ jinjora l-problemi kbar li qed joħloq il-qasam tat-trasport. Hemm bosta soluzzjonijiet dejjiema imma la l-Gvern m’għandux il-kuraġġ li jieħu l-miżuri neċessarji allura wara din il-kriżi kollox se jmur lura għas-sitwazzjoni ħażina tas-soltu. In-normalità għandha tkun li l-Gvern jiffoka fuq li jevita t-tniġġis u l-mard li jġib miegħu minflok naraw kif infejjquh. Huwa importanti li nissalvagwardjaw is-saħħa tan-nies, għax hija xi ħaġa minnha nnifisha tajba imma anke għax jagħmel sens anke ekonomiku.”

“Is-soluzzjonijiet huma kemm soluzzjonijiet ‘karrotta’ u soluzzjonijiet ‘bastun’ – inċentivi u diżinċentivi. Trasport sostenibbli bħar-rota u roti elettriċi jeħtieġ ifrastruttura tajba madwar il-pajjiż kollu. It-trasport pubbliku għandu bżonn aktar karreġġjati irriservati għalih biss u investimentfuq aktar rotot. Hemm bżonn sistema msejjħa Bus Rapid Transit, bażikament ‘metro’ fuq it-toroq tagħna permezz tal-karozzi tal-linja.”

“Aħna nopponu t-twessiegħ massiċċ tat-toroq għax mhux biss jeqred aktar u aktar art imma għax dan qed iħajjar aktar u aktar traffiku u tniġġis. Nitolbu li jiddaħħlu ‘low emission zones’ b’mod immedjat u li jitnaqqas drastikament it-traffiku fil-qalba tal-irġula u l-ibliet. Miżuri simili madwar l-Ewropa kollha wasslu għal titjib fil-kwalità tal-arja u anke taw ħajja ġdida liċ-ċentru tal-ibliet u l-irħula.”

Ralph Cassar insista, “Is-saħħa tan-nies għandha tiġi l-ewwel, mhux biss f’dal-mument partikolari. Hemm bżonn normalità ġdida issa.”