Reacting to media reports in which Minister Ian Borg is reported to have said that the Central Link project in Attard is environmentally friendly AD Secretary General, Ralph Cassar, and the party’s spokesperson on infrastructure and transport said: “I congratulate Ian Borg for making a new discovery and inventing a new definition of environmentally friendly policies.”
“Ian Borg can find some examples of environmentally friendly actions and transport initiatives in his Government’s own Transport Master Plan. While modern countries and cities across Europe are giving streets back to people and restricting car access into cities, the Maltese Government, even with its huge parliamentary majority is failing to show leadership and courage to take all necessary steps for a sustainable means of transport, to offer truly safe spaces along all major roads to those who want and can use the bicycle and electric bicycle as a means of transport and to substantially reduce the use of private cars. “
“The Transport Master Plan contains several measures that the Government, from the Prime Minister down is ignoring. Amongst these measures are: public transport corridors, that is segregated lanes on roads reserved exclusively for buses; and low-emission zones , that is areas in which access to polluting vehicles is either restricted or an access fee is paid for access to the zone. What is the Government waiting for? The irony of all this is that in the European Parliament, away from our shores, Labour MEPs talk about sustainable transport but here in Malta the Government takes no action. In true Maltese style Ian Borg mentions what previous Nationalist Governments did or didn’t do, as if that makes a difference today. The reality is that neither Ian Borg nor his predecessors have a forward looking modern vision for transport and mobility. “
“Of course Borg and Infrastructure Malta mention trees, and use the argument of transplanting trees, planting new trees and avoiding others as an argument in favour of the project. While trees are important the real issue is that new roads will increase traffic and pollution. When it comes to trees, Malta needs thousands upon thousands of new trees, not a couple of hundreds. Even here the pledges of afforestation made by the Environment Ministry over a year ago seem to have been be abandoned by the wayside.”
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Ian Borg jiskopri definizzjoni ġdida ta’ politika favur l-ambjent
F’reazzjoni għal rapporti fil-media li fihom il-Ministru Ian Borg qal li l-proġett Central Link ta’ Ħ’Attard huwa proġett favur l-ambjent Ralph Cassar, Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ AD u kelliem dwar l-infrastruttura u t-trasport qal:”Nifraħ lil Ian Borg talli għamel skoperta ġdida u ivvinta definizzjoni ġdida ta’ politika favur l-ambjent.”
“Azzjonijiet favur l-ambjent u s-saħħa tan-nies Ian Borg jista’ jsibhom fil-Master Plan dwar it-Trasport tal-Gvern tiegħu stess. F’pajjiżi moderni u bliet madwar l-Ewropa l-ispazji fit-toroq qed jingħataw lura lin-nies. Imma f’Malta għandna Gvern li minkejja l-maġġoranza kbira li għandu mhux qed juri leadership u m’għandux il-kuraġġ jieħu l-passi kollha meħtieġa biex ikollna mezzi ta’ trasport sostenibbli, biex joffri verament spazji sikuri tul it-toroq prinċipali kollha għal min irid u jista’ juża r-rota u r-rota elettrika bħala mezz ta’ trasport u biex inaqqas sostanzjalment l-użu tal-karozzi privati.”
“Il-Master Plan tat-Trasport fih diversi miżuri li l-Gvern, mill-Prim Ministru l-isfel qed jinjora fosthom: ‘public transport corridors’ iġifieri kareġġjati ir-riservati esklussivament għall-karozzi tal-linja u ‘low-emmission zones’, żoni fejn vetturi li jniġġsu ikunu ristretti jew ikollhom iħallsu tariffa biex jaċċessaw il-post. X’inhu jistenna l-Gvern biex jieħu dawn il-passi? Fil-Parlament Ewropew Membri Parlamentari tal-Partit Laburista jitkellmu mod imma meta niġu għas-si u n-no f’Malta l-Gvern jibqa’ ċass. Fl-istess ħin Ian Borg isemmi dak li għamlu jew m’għamlux in-Nazzjonalisti. Ir-realta’ hi li Ian Borg u dawk ta’ qablu m’għandhomx viżjoni moderna dwar it-trasport.”
“Jissemmew is-siġar, imma anke hawn ir-realta’ hija li qed jintuża l-argument ta’ kemm se jsalvaw jew iħawlu siġar ġodda biex jgħattu l-vera probelma: dik li toroq ġodda jżidu u mhux inaqqsu t-traffiku. Anke fejn jidħlu s-siġar Malta għandha bżonn eluf kbar ta’ siġar, imma anke hawn il-wegħdi ta’ afforestazzjoni tal-Ministeru għall-Ambjent aktar minn sena ilu qishom sfumaw fix-xejn.”
