During a press conference on mobility, AD mentioned the need to make roads and urban centres more people friendly.
AD spokesperson Prof. Arnold Cassola said: “Pedestrians’ rights are to be safeguarded. As such, more pedestrian zones should be created, especially in commercial areas and in our village and town centres. At present the disregard for the needs of the most vulnerable people of our society, such as people with disabilities, ageing persons and parents with prams, is quite high. The lack of planning with regards to the positioning of street furniture, lamp-posts and signposts is sometimes impressive and this lack of planning is proving to be of real hindrance to the mobility of these categories.”
“The arrogance of the PN and the PL, who have illegally occupied Maltese roads and pavements with massive billboards for the past 4 and 10 months respectively -including placing some on ramps for disabled people- shows a strong lack of sensitivity for the needs of all Maltese citizens, in particular those with particular needs. Alternattiva Demokratika insists that improved accessibility to Maltese roads for the disabled, the elderly and parents of young children should be the priority”.
AD spokesperson on energy, transport and infrastructure, Ralph Cassar added: “Urban centres and areas to which people commute to for work need more investment in mass transportationsystems. We need public transport which connects all arterial roads which are clogged with traffic, especially in the morning. The heavy traffic from Bugibba through
Mosta, Birkirkara to the University bypass and from Marsa, Marsaskala, Fgura to Paola are especially problematic. The congestion from Rabat to Attard, Msida, Gzira and Sliema shows that there are routes which people use to commute too for work which are not served well by public transport. We need data to establish people’s travel patterns. It seems that government takes decisions on bus routes on hunches rather than hard and fast data. Encouraging alternative and new modes of travel in urban areas is also a must.”
(Note: Parties are allowed to place extra billboards in safe locations on roads only when an election is officially declared. In the meantime only commercial billboards with a MEPA permit can be used.)
PR 13-10-2012
AD: Prijorita ghan-nies fit-toroq taghna
Waqt konferenza stampa dwar il-mobilita’, AD sejhet ghal toroq u centri urbani li jaghtu priojorita lin-nies.
Prof. Arnold Cassola, kelliem ta’ AD sahaq li n-nies li juzaw it-toroq ghandhom ikunu protetti u agevolati. “Hemm bzonn aktar zoni pedonali, specjalment f’centri kummercjali u fic-centru tal-ibliet u l-irhula taghna. In-nuqqas ta’ ippjanar tul is-snin ifisser li l-aktar persuni vulnerabbli fis-socjeta, bhal persuni b’dizabilita, anzjani u genituri bit-trabi isibu diffikultajiet kbar biex juzaw it-toroq b’mod sikur. In-nuqqas ta’ ippjanar, bankini zghar u oggetti li jostakolaw il-bankini ifixkel bil-kbir il-mobilita ta’ hafna persuni.”
“F’dar-rigward l-arroganza tal-PN u l-PL hija inkredibbli. Dawn ilhom jokkupaw illegalment toroq u bankini bil-billboards ghal dawn l-ahhar 4 sa 10 xhur rispettivament. Xi whud tqeghdu fuq rampi ghal persuni b’dizabilita – li juri nuqqas kbir ta’ sensittivita ghall-persuni vulnerabbli fis-socjeta. Alternattiva Demokratika tinsisti li jkun hemm titjib fl-accessibilita fit-toroq – b’prijorita ghal persuni b’dizabilita, anzjani u genituri ta’ tfal zghar.”
Il-kelliem ta’ AD ghall-energija, trasport u infrastruttura, Ralph Cassar zied:”Ic-centri urbani u z-zoni li l-aktar jivjaggaw lejhom in-nies ghax-xoghol ghandhom bzonn aktar investiment f’sistemi ta’ trasport pubbliku. Harsa lejn it-traffiku kbir u wieqaf filghodu kmieni fl-arterji principali jixhed li m’hemmx servizz adegwat ta’ trasport. Bizzejjed wiehed isemmi l-kaos fit-traffiku minn Bugibba sal-Mosta, Birkirkara, il-bypass tal-University, il-Marsa, Marsaskala, Fgura u Rahal Gdid. Il-kongestjoni kbira mir-Rabat sa H’Attard, l-iMsida u l-Gzira u tas-Sliema turi li t-toroq li hafna persuni qed juzaw biex imorru x-xoghol mhux moqdija minn sistemi efficjenti ta’ trasport pubbliku. Hemm bzonn li tingabar informazzjoni dwar il-vjaggi li jaghmlu n-nies specjalment filghodu kmieni u filghaxija – fir-‘rush hours’. Milli jidher il-gvern ma gabarx din l-informazzjoni u decizjonijiet dwar ir-rottot tal-linja ittiehdu minghajr din
l-informazzjoni. Barra minn hekk huwa imperattiv li jigu inkoraggiti metodi alternattivi ta’ trasport f’zoni urbani – bin-nies jiehdu l-ewwel prijorita.”
(Nota: Il-partiti jistghu jpoggu billboards fit-toroq meta tissejjah elezzjoni ufficjalment. Fil-frattempt suppost juzaw billboards kummercjali li ghandhom permess mill-MEPA.)
