Samuel Vella, kandidat ta’ ADPD – The Green Party għall-Kunsill Lokali ta’ Ħal Balzan fetaħ il-konferenza stampa li saret illum propju fil-pjazza ta’ Ħal Balzan billi stqarr li t-trasport ġewwa Ħal Balzan huwa problema ta’ kuljum. 

“Waħda mill-prijoritajiet tiegħi bħala kandidat għall-kunsill lokali huwa dak ta’ trasport sostenibbli ġewwa r-raħal tagħna. Dan jinkludi mhux biss infrastruttura favur in-nies minflok favur il-karozzi, pero ukoll emfasi fuq l-użu ta’ mezzi alternattivi bħal roti. Naħdem ukoll biex jkun hawn servizz ta’ trasport ghall-anzjani tagħna sabiex imorru għall-appuntamenti mediċi. Għal dawn l-aħħar ftit xhur, Ħal Balzan kien gridlock.”

“Għalkemm nifhem li x- xogħol irid issir, u hija xi ħaġa tajba li x-xogħol isir, dan ma jistax isakkar lin-nies ġewwa d-djar tagħhom! Nifhem li dan in-nuqqas ta’ pjanar mhux it-tort tal-kunsill però, huwa d-dmir tal-kunsill li jżomm ir-residenti infurmati dwar ix-xogħol. Huwa ukoll d-dmir tal-kunsill li jżomm kuntatt kontinwu mal-ministeru konċernat sabiex ix-xogħol jitlesta fi żmienu. Hija xi ħaġa inaċċettabbli li bankini jkunu okkupati minn inġenji. It-toroq prinċipali ta’ Ħal Balzan ingħalqu fl-istess ħin li wassal għal ħafna skumdita għall-komunità kollha. Hemm bżonn ta’ bidla ġewwa r-raħal tagħna. Għandna bżonn bidla li tagħti vuċi lir-residenti u pulmun aħdar lil dan ir-raħal tant għal qalbna.”

Ralph Cassar, Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD u kandidat  ikkritika r-rifjut tal-gvern li jimplimenta miżuri li jistgħu verament jindirizzaw il-problemi tat-traffiku ta’ Malta. Huwa vera li m’hemmx xi soluzzjoni maġika imma l-pjan ta’ gvern wara ieħor huwa biss li jiżdiedu l-karreġġjati tat-toroq u jinħlew fondi tal-Unjoni Ewropea fuq proġetti infrastrutturali li jakkomodaw karozzi privati bla ebda titjib fit-traffiku u bla ebda tnaqqis tat-tniġġis tal-arja. “Il-Gvern għandu master plan tat-trasport,” innota Cassar. Dan il-pjan stess jgħid li jiżdiedu kemm jiżdiedu toroq u karreġġjati, it-traffiku mhux se jonqos. Imma il-gvern l-aqwa li jimpressjona lil dawk li għadhom jimpressjonaw ruħhom bit-tarmac u l-flyovers.”

“Il-master plan tal-gvern jgħid li l-ispazju fit-toroq għall-karozzi jrid jonqos biex in-nies jiġu mbuttati għal mezzi oħra ta’ vjaġġar,” qal, waqt li nnota r-riluttanza tal-politiċi li jimbuttaw lin-nies ’il bogħod milli jużaw il-karozzi privati tagħhom. Cassar appella biex it-toroq isiru b’mod li tkun garantita s-sigurtà għan-nies li jużaw mezzi alternattivi bħar-roti biex jivvjaġġaw.

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party u kandidata, Sandra Gauci qalet li l-bini tal-junctions u l-flyovers huma bżar fl-għajnejn. Bħallikieku l-junctions se jsolvu xi ħaġa. Hemm bżonn li noffru alternattivi varji, inkluż sistema ta’ Bus Rapid Transit. Il-master plan tal-gvern stess jgħid li hemm bżonn ‘bus priority corridors’. Aħna irrid niżviluppaw din il-proposta f’sistema mifruxa ma’ Malta kollha. BRT ifisser karreġġjati għal tal-linja biss. Min juża tal-linja irridu nagħmlulu l-vjaġġ aktar faċli u nippremjawh. X’qed jiġri bħalissa? Tal-linja qed jispiċċaw jeħlu fit-traffiku. BRT isolvi dil-problema u jippremja u jivvantaġġja lit-trasport pubbliku fit-toroq prinċipali.

“Fil-Parlament Ewropew ma’ sħabna l-Ħodor ninsistu li l-fondi tal-UE ma jinħlewx f’toroq li jżidu t-traffiku u joqtluna bit-tniġġis, iżda li li l-fondi jintefqu biss fuq mobilità sostenibbli – rotot siguri għar-roti, pedestrijanizazzjoni tal-qalba tal-bliet u rħula, aktar rotot bil-baħar madwar il-portijiet u sistema mifruxa ta’ Bus Rapid Transit.”

EU funds should not be wasted on useless roads that increase traffic and deadly pollution 

ADPD – The Green Party candidate for the Ħal Balzan Local Council, Samuel Vella during a press conference held today in the Ħal Balzan square by stating that mobility in Ħal Balzan is a daily challenge.

“One of my priorities as a local council candidate is that of promoting sustainable transport within our village. This includes not only people-friendly rather than car-friendly infrastructure, but also an emphasis on the use of alternative means such as bicycles. I will also work to have a transport service for our elderly for errands such as medical appointments.” Regarding road works in Ħal Balzan, Samuel Vella said that works take so long that for the past few months, Ħal Balzan has been gridlocked.

“Although I understand that work needs to be done and sometimes necessary, it cannot literally lock people inside their homes! I understand that this lack of planning is not the fault of the council, however, it is the duty of the council to keep residents informed about the works. It is also the council’s duty to maintain constant contact with the ministry concerned in order to insist that works are completed in a reasonable timeframe. It is also unacceptable that pavements are occupied construction vehicles and machinery. Why were all the main roads of Ħal Balzan all closed at the same time, leading to a lot of issues for the whole community? There is a need for change in our village. We need a change that gives a voice to residents and we need a green lung in Ħal Balzan.”

Ralph Cassar, ADPD Secretary General and candidate criticised the government’s refusal to implement measures that could really address Malta’s traffic problems. It is true that there is no magical solution but successive governments have done the opposite of what experts recommend when it comes to mobility. They squandered EU funds in useless road widening projects, junctions and flyovers, which in turn increased traffic and deadly pollution. “The Government has repeatedly ignored its own transport master plan,” noted Cassar. This plan, commissioned by government and paid for through EU funds, states black on white that increasing road space for cars will not decrease traffic. But instead of heeding its own reports this government still brags about useless flyovers and road widening. It may fool some, but not everyone is a fool.”

“The government’s own master plan says that road space for cars must be reduced to push people into other means of travel,” he said, noting the reluctance of politicians to push people away from using their private cars. Cassar called for roads to be redesigned to guarantee safety for people using alternative means of commuting such as cycling.

ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson and candidate Sandra Gauci said that building junctions and flyovers are just expensive photo-opportunities. As if junctions and flyovers ever solved anything. This is well documented, although government ministers do not seem to know how to read studies and reports including their own master plan. We need to offer various alternatives, including a Bus Rapid Transit system. The government’s own master plan states that there is a need for ‘bus priority corridors’. We want to develop this proposal into a Malta-wide system. BRT means road space reserved exclusively for buses – a sort of tram on wheels. Government should reward bus users by making their journeys easier. What is happening at the moment? Buses are getting stuck in traffic. BRT solves this problem and prioritises public transport on major roads.

“In the European Parliament with our Green colleagues we insist that EU funds are not wasted on roads that increase traffic and deadly pollution. We insist that funds are spent only on sustainable mobility – safe bicycle routes, pedestrianisation of town and village centres, more ferry routes around ports and a widespread Bus Rapid Transit system.”