“Attard is choked with traffic and unbridled construction”, stated AD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo during a press conference in Ħ’Attard.

The problems in urban areas are a big challenge to the quality of life of residents. The impacts of the rationalization scheme approved in 2006 are being felt today. The 2006 decision means that massive development is going on in several parts of Ħ’Attard. This is leading to low rise houses in whole streets being demolished. Turning Ħ’Attard into a concrete jungle. The massive increase in building density is also leading to a large increase in cars in a small area and consequently an increase in traffic and the degradation of air quality.

It is patently obvious that there is an urgent need to develop and encourage alternative transport facilities. In the past week Alternattiva Demokratika submitted its views during the public consultation exercise for the cycling strategy. We have highlighted the need to improve the infrastructure for cycling. Despite initiatives in Ħ’Attard by AD’s councillor, cycling infrastructure is still sorely lacking in our country. Transport Malta is not keen or helpful when it comes to this kind of transport.

Ħ’Attard is situated in an area of Malta in which travel from one locality to another on foot or by bicycle is rather easy. This is not only good for health but also reduces the quantity of cars from our roads. The National Transport Strategy approved in 2016 puts as a major goal the reduction of short car journeys of less than fifteen minutes. These journeys account for about fifty percent of car journeys on our roads. It is these short journeys that should be tackled and reduced with targeted public investment in people friendly streets and infrastructure for alternative means of transport.

AD calls for a discussion on the use of roads. We insist that especially on residential roads and the narrow streets of our towns and villages people should be given absolute priority over cars. This can be done several ways, including by reducing the maximum speed in residential areas to 30 kilometres per hour, as well as investment in widespread infrastructure to encourage the use of bicycles by commuters.

Ħ’Attard is one of the locations in which AD was almost always present with a councillor elected since the establishment of the local councils 25 years ago. Ralph Cassar, Secretary General of AD councillor in Ħ’Attard for over 15 years has worked with councillors from other parties to take a number of initiatives that have contributed to improving the quality of life in the locality. Ralph Cassar, has worked for the planting of more and more trees in urban areas, for a new public library and the restoration of historic sites, for new bike racks, as well as initiatives on waste recycling as well to promote waste reduction and reuse.

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Ħ’Attard – il-problemi tal-ambjent urban

“Ħ’Attard hu fgat bit-traffiku u l-bini bla rażan”. Dan qalu Carmel Cacopardo Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika waqt konferenza stampa fiċ-ċentru ta’ Ħ’Attard.

Dawn huma il-problemi ewlenin f’żoni urbani li qed joħolqu pressjoni kbira fuq il-kwalità tal-ħajja tar-residenti.

L-iskema ta’ razzjonalizzazzjoni approvata fl-2006 illum il-ġurnata qed jinħassu l-impatti tagħha. Għax f’diversi partijiet ta’ Ħ’Attard għaddej żvilupp massiċċ lihu konsegwenza diretta ta’ dik id-deċiżjoni. Dan qed iwassal biex l-eleganza ta’ toroq bi djar baxxi qed tinbidel u tkun sostitwita b’ġungla tal-konkos. Imma din iż-żieda fid-densità tal-bini qed twassal ukoll għal żieda kbira ta’ karozzi f’żona żgħira u per konsegwenza ukoll għal żieda fit-traffiku u fid-degradazzjoni tal-kwalità tal-arja.

F’dawn iċ-ċirkustanzi hemm ħtieġa dejjem ikbar li jkunu żviluppati u nkoraġġiti faċilitajiet ta’ transport alternattiv. F’dawn il-ġranet Alternattiva Demokratika wieġbet għall-istrateġija dwar iċ-ċikliżmu li dwarha kienet qed issir konsultazzjoni pubblika. Emfasizzajna l-ħtieġa li titjieb l-infrastruttura għaċ-ċikliżmu li minkejja l-inizjattivi li kontinwament jieħu l-kunsillier ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika f’Ħ’Attard għadha nieqsa. Transport Malta mmhux ta’ għajnuna u ma jidhrux entużjasti fuq trasport alternattiv.

Ħ’Attard qiegħed f’żona fejn faċilment tista’ tivvjaġġa minn lokalità għall-oħra bil-mixi jew bir-rota. Dan ma jkunx biss tajjeb għas-saħħa imma ukoll inaqqas kwantità ta’ karozzi mit-toroq tagħna. Niftakru li l-Istrateġija Nazzjonali dwar it-Trasport approvasta fl-2016 tpoġġi bħala mira ewlenija li jonqsu l-vjaġġi qosra bil-karozzi, vjaġġi ta’ inqas minn ħmistax-il minuta li jammontaw għal madwar ħamsin fil-mija tal-movimenti tal-karozzi fit-toroq tagħna.

F’dan l-ambjent li jifgak Alternattiva Demokratika tpoġġi għad-diskussjoni li fit-toroq huma n-nies li għandhom jingħataw prijorità u mhux il-karozzi u dan b’mod partikolari fit-toroq dojoq tal-ibliet u l-irħula tagħna. Dan jista’ jsir b’diversi modi fosthom bit-tnaqqsis tal-veloċita f’żoni residenzjali għal massimu ta’ 30 kilometru fis-siegħa kif ukoll bl-iżvilupp tal-infrastruttura b’tali mod li tkun inkoraġġita iktar l-użu tar-roti.

Ħ’Attard hu wieħed mill-lokalitajiet li fih Alternattiva Demokatika kienet kwazi dejjem preżenti b’kunsillier elett u dan sa mit-twaqqif tal-Kunsill Lokali 25 sena ilu. Ralph Cassar, Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ AD illum ilu kunsillier f’Ħ’Attard għal aktar minn 15-il sena u irnexxielu flimkien mal-kunsilliera ġejjin minn partiti oħra jieħu numru ta’ inizjattivi li taw kontribut biex titjieb il-kwalità tal-ħajja. Permezz ta’ Ralph Cassar AD f’Ħ’Attard ħadmet biex jiżdiedu s-siġar fit-toroq, biex jibda x-xogħol għal librerija pubblika ġdida kif ukoll biex ikunu restawrati numru ta’ siti storici. Saru ukoll bike racks ġodda kif ukoll ittieħdu inizjattivi fuq riċklagg tal-iskart kif ukoll fuq l-użu ta’ oġġetti li normalment jintremew.