Transport Minister Ian Borg and Transport Malta’s over the top proposals on electric scooters is the wrong response to a new way of travelling that is less harmful to people, our towns and villages and ultimately to the planet than cars. Instead of reducing the space for cars on roads, the ‘car agency’ Transport Malta and the Minister for Transport want to clamp down on low-carbon mobility and introduce ridiculous charges on scooters which do not take up space on roads, do not pollute and are far less dangerous than cars. This is not about regulating the use of space by electric scooter hire companies, but on clamping down on road users who happen not to be using a car. A limit on the speed of electric scooters is understandable, however the proposed requirements for registration, for insurance and above all for electric scooter users to be obliged to have a car driving licence is over the top and downright silly. The Minister should make streets safer and move away from his obvious assumption that streets are there to serve the perceived needs of cars over and above the needs of everyone else.

Ralph Cassar, AD Secretary General and spokesperson for transport and infrastructure said: “Government should be bending over backwards to encourage and facilitate new ways of getting around that are good for our health, for our congested towns and ultimately for the planet. Instead of encouraging this, government is making the take up of clean and inexpensive forms of mobility difficult. It refuses to introduce low emission zones, it is building roads without infrastructure for alternative mobility, it is removing bus lanes and making commuting by bicycle and electric bicycles difficult. On top of all that it is now proposing ridiculous rules on electric scooters. What’s next? Will we require insurance to step outside?”

“Those who choose alternatives to cars for commuting, including teenagers too young for a driving licence, need support from Government. Any safety concerns around the use of scooters need to be addressed through education but above all through making our roads safer and increasing space and areas which are off limits to cars. The real concern should be road safety and the total lack of enforcement of traffic regulations, from haphazard parking, to dangerous driving. Maybe Minister Borg should start implementing the Transport Masterplan 2025. Maybe he could get Cabinet to approve the banning of high-emission vehicles from our towns and city centres, instead of fixating on clean electric scooters. Maybe he should just implement sustainable and climate friendly transport policies. Probably it’s no use holding our breathes for that to happen.”

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Proposti dwar scooters elettriċi: intom bis-serjetà?

Il-proposti dwar l-iscooters elettriċi tal-Ministru għat-Trasport Ian Borg u ta’ Transport Malta huma esaġerati u bla sens. Il-Gvern, minflok jinkoraġġixxi metodi ta’ trasport li ma jagħmlux ħsara lis-saħħa tan-nies, u ma jħammġux l-arja tal-bliet u l-irħula tagħna; minflok joffri toroq sikuri  għal kulħadd, qed jara kif jagħmel biex min jagħżel li ma jużax il-karozza jħossu skomdu fit-toroq. Minflok inaqqas l-ispazju fit-toroq għall-karozzi, l-aġenzija tal-Gvern, Transport Malta, ironikament il-Unit dwar il-Mobilità Sostenibbli, u l-Ministru għat-Trasport iridu jkeċċu lil min juża mezzi nodfa ta’ trasport mit-toroq tagħna. Ta’ min jinnota li l-Gvern irid jimponi liċenzji, reġistrazzjoni u ħlasijiet oħra fuq mezzi li ftit li xejn jużaw spazju fit-toroq, ma jniġġsux u huma ferm anqas ta’ periklu mill-karozzi. L-awtoritajiet qed iħalltu r-regolamentazzjoni ta’ servizzi privati ta’ kiri ta’ scooters elettriċi mal-użu tagħhom minn individwi li ma’ jokkupaw l-ebda art pubblika, anzi jnaqqsu l-karozzi u l-konġestjoni mit-toroq meta jużaw dal-mezz alternattivi ta’ trasport. Limiti fuq veloċità jew fuq is-saħħa tal-mutur huma raġonevoli, iżda l-proposti ta’ reġistrazzjoni, assigurazzjoni u aktar u aktar dik li min juża scooter elettriku għandu bżonn liċenzja tas-sewqan huma redikoli u esaġerati. Il-Ministru missu jiżgura li t-toroq isiru aktar sikuri. Imissu jirrealizza li t-toroq mhux qegħdin hemm għall-karozzi biss.

Is-Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ AD u kelliem dwar it-trasport u l-infrastruttura Ralph Cassar qal: “Il-Gvern missu qed jagħmel minn kollox biex jinkoraġġixxi u jiffaċilità modi ġodda ta’ kif in-nies jivvjaġġaw, għall-ġid ta’ saħħitna, tas-saħħa tal-ibliet u l-irħula tagħna fgati bit-traffiku, u fl-aħħar mill-aħħar għall-ġid tal-pjanetà kollha. Minflok jagħmel hekk il-Gvern qed jagħmilha aktar diffiċli għal dawk in-nies li lesti jikkunsidraw jużaw mezzi alternattivi ta’ trasport. Il-Gvern qed jirrifjuta li jintroduċi ‘low emission zones’ fl-aktar postijiet imniġġsa ta’ pajjiżna. Qed jibni toroq li mhux siguri għal min juża mezzi bħar-roti u r-roti elettriċi. Qed jibni toroq li jiskoraġġixxu l-użu ta’ mezzi alternattivi ta’ trasport. Qed ineħħi l-‘bus lanes’ u jagħti aktar u aktar spazju għal aktar u aktar traffiku. Bħallikieku dan mhux biżżejjed issa jrid idaħħal regoli redikoli dwar l-iscooters elettriċi. X’imiss? Li jkollna bżonn assigurazzjoni biex noħorġu mid-dar?”

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ AD Carmel Cacopardo qal:“Dawk li jħallu l-karozza d-dar u saħansitra dawk li ma jsuqux, inkluż ż-żgħażagħ li huma taħt l-età għal liċenzja tas-sewqan, għandhom bżonn s-sostenn u l-inkoraġġiment tal-awtoritajiet. It-tħassib dwar is-sigurtà tal-użu tal-iscooters elettriċi jista’ jiġi indirizzat permezz ta’ kampanji edukattivi imma fuq kollox għandu jiġi indirizzat billi jsir sforz kbir biex it-toroq tagħna isiru aktar sikuri u biex jiżdied l-ispazju magħluq għall-karozzi. It-tħassib vera huwa dwar n-nuqqas kbir ta’ infurzar tar-regoli tat-traffiku, ibda b’parkeġġar ħażin sa sewqan perikoluż. Nissuġġerixu li l-Ministru jimplimenta t-‘Transport Masterplan 2025’. Nissuġġerixxu li jikkonvinċi lill-Kabinett biex vetturi li jniġġsu ħafna ma jitħallewx jgħaddu miċ-ċentri tal-ibliet. Minflok jaqbad maż-żgħażagħ u persuni oħra li qed jagħmlulu pjaċir u jnaqqsu l-karozzi mit-toroq għandu jimplimenta politika verament sostenibbli u favur il-klima fil-qasam tat-trasport. Imma x’aktarx il-Ministru se jibqa’ għaddej bil-politika bla viżjoni tal-Gvern tiegħu.”