The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) and the Ministry for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning are currently preparing an air quality plan in accordance with the Ambient Air Quality Directive (2008/50/EC) (https://meae.gov.mt/en/Public_Consultations/MECP/Pages/Consultations/IntentandObjectivesAirQualityPlan.aspx). The aim of this directive is to improve air quality for all citizens and residents of the European Union’s member states. The directive and the relevant Maltese regulations (S.L. 549.59), set limit values for a number of air pollutants, including particulate matter (PM10).

ADPD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said: “For years on end Maltese governments have avoided taking action were science shows it matters most. Science tells us that locations which experience high volumes of traffic suffer from poorer air quality. ERA’s own data shows that Msida exceeds the permissible limits of dangerous particles (PM10) in the air. Government’s own data also shows that the priority areas to tackle dangerous pollution from traffic are Pietà, and parts of Floriana, Msida, Marsa, Ħamrun, Qormi, Luqa and Paola. Residents and those who work in these localities are exposed to dangerous levels of pollution regularly.”

ADPD Secretary General Ralph Cassar expressed the party’s hope that new plans are actually effective: “While it has been declared that the plan ‘will mainly focus on the transport sector and target pollutants driven by road transport activities’, we hope that the plan is effective, grabs the proverbial bull by the horns and ends once and for all the government’s penchant to ignore its own plans- a case in point being government’s failure to implement the most important parts of the Transport Master Plan (https://www.transport.gov.mt/strategies/strategies-policies-actions/national-transport-strategy-and-transport-master-plan-1343), which would have gone some way in reducing transport related pollution. The Nationalist government prior to 2013, bragged about increasing car use and Gonzi’s cabinet had flatly refused to implement a low emission zone in Msida proposed by the country’s environment authority. Muscat’s Labour government repeatedly bragged that it did not want to control pollution from transport, and Ian Borg is implementing the old and stale transport policies of the past, aided and abetted by Infrastructure Malta bulldozer-engineer Frederick Azzopardi – who seems to be unaware of sustainable, modern and ethical engineering practices. Ian Borg and Frederick Azzopardi are irresponsibly perpetuating the problem highlighted in the government’s own Transport Masterplan 2025, which states that road design in Malta is generally car-oriented and is characterised by the overall lack of space provided for all other modes of transport. This history of incompetence, and transactional clientelism in politics means that drastic and focussed action is needed immediately.”

ERA and the Ministry for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning are calling for feedback or comments on the intent and objectives of this plan and also on which practical measures could be implemented. The measures needed are well known and ADPD has consistently been making proposals on the issue of transport and air quality. The problem is that the big-tent catch all parties are not interested in the policies needed to make a quantum leap forward. They are only interested in running with the hares and hunting with the hounds, literally.

Government, if it is serious, should consider a wide variety of options which are already tried and tested in countries with more educated and serious parties and governments. If the plan is to reach is objectives traffic should be drastically reduced from congested and polluted areas in Pietà, Floriana, Msida, Marsa, Ħamrun, Qormi, Luqa and Paola. This can be done by pedestrianisation, dedicated bus corridors, and a Bus Rapid Transit system, and even, eventually tram corridors. Whole areas, such as the high streets in Floriana, Msida, Ħamrun, and Paola, could be redesigned to allow public transport vehicles and alternative means of personal mobility only through. The already weak Valletta vehicle access system, dismantled and rendered useless by visionless Labour, could be strengthened and introduced in congested and polluted localities. Low Emission Zones (LEZs) and Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZs) in which the most polluting vehicles are banned, could also be introduced – a measure already mentioned (and ignored by government) in the Transport Masterplan 2025. Additionally, proper and safe routes for bicycles, pedelecs and other zero emission personal transporters are sorely needed. These measures are doable, since as the Transport Masterplan 2025 itself states, journey length in the country is on average only 5.5km.

The truth is that both the Labour and the Nationalist Parties are bereft of any ideological and principled commitments to taking the bull by the horns, and prefer to engage in politicking about the price of polluting fossil fuels, white elephant Gozo tunnels, pie-in-the-sky metros, and kilometres of useless roads built. ADPD, on the other hand, will continue to insist on targeted, focussed and effective measures to improve everyone’s quality of life.

***

Tniġġis – Għexieren ta’ snin ta’ negliġenza u nuqqas ta’ azzjoni minn gvernijiet bla viżjoni u inkompetenti

L-Awtorità għall-Ambjent u r-Riżorsi (ERA) u l-Ministeru għall-Ambjent, it-Tibdil fil-Klima u l-Ippjanar bħalissa qed iħejju pjan dwar il-kwalità tal-arja skont kif titlob id-Direttiva dwar il-Kwalità tal-Arja Ambjentali (2008/50/KE) (https://meae.gov.mt/en/Public_Consultations/MECP/Pages/Consultations/IntentandObjectivesAirQualityPlan.aspx). L-għan ta’din id-direttiva huwa li ttejjeb il-kwalità tal-arja għaċ-ċittadini u r-residenti kollha tal-istati membri tal-Unjoni Ewropea. Id-direttiva u r-regolamenti Maltin (S.L. 549.59), jistabbilixxu limiti għal sustanzi li jniġġsu l-arja, inkluż il-partiċelli jew trab magħruf bħala PM10 li jiġi mit-traffiku.

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD Carmel Cacopardo qal: “Għal għexieren ta’ snin l-gvernijiet Maltin evitaw illi jieħdu azzjoni dwar il-kwalità tal-arja avolja ix-xjenza ilha tindika l-bżonn ta’ azzjoni immedjata. Ix-xjenza tgħidilna li postijiet li jgħaddi minnhom ħafna traffiku jbatu minn kwalità ta’ arja ħażina. L-ERA stess għandha riżultati minn kampjuni li ttieħdu l-Imsida li jaqbżu l-limiti permissibbli ta’ partiċelli perikolużi fl-arja. Studji pubbliċi juru wkoll li għandha tittieħed azzjoni immedjata biex jonqos it-traffiku drastikament fil-Pietà, u partijiet mill-Furjana, l-Imsida, il-Marsa, il-Ħamrun, Ħal Qormi, Ħal Luqa u Raħal Ġdid. In-nies li joqgħodu u jaħdmu f’dawn l-inħawi qed ikollhom saħħithom mhedda minħabba kwalità ħażina tal-arja.”

Is-Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD Ralph Cassar esprima t-tama tal-partit li l-pjan il-ġdid jkun fih miżuri effettivi li jitwettqu: “Filwaqt skont l-ERA u l-Gvern il-pjan dwar il-kwalità tal-arja se jiffoka prinċipalment fuq is-settur tat-trasport peress li parti kbira mit-tniġġis ġej mit-trasport, nittamaw li l-pjan ikun effettiv , jaqbad il-barri minn qrunu u li fl-aħħar mill-aħħar il-Gvern jimplimenta l-pjan sew u kif suppost. Ta’ min isemmi li pjan ieħor dwar it-trasport, il-Masterplan għat-Trasport 2025 (https://www.transport.gov.mt/strategies/strategies-policies-actions/national-transport-strategy-and-transport-master-plan-1343), li fih miżuri għat-tnaqqis tat-tniġġis relatat mat-trasport ġie totalment injorat. Il-Gvern ħela l-flus biex jinkiteb pjan u mbagħad tefgħu fuq l-ixkaffa. Fi snin imgħoddija, Gvern Nazzjonalista ta’ qabel l-2013, kien jiftaħar kontinwament biż-żieda fl-użu tal-karozza, u l-kabinett tal-Ministri ta’ Gonzi kien irrifjuta li jimplimenta Low Emission Zone fl-Imsida, liema proposta kienet saret lill-kabinett mill-MEPA, likienet inkarigata mill-ambjent dak iż-żmien. Il-Gvern Laburista ta’ Muscat ukoll kien jiftaħar li ma riedx jikkontrolla t-tniġġis mit-trasport, u sal-lum Ian Borg qed jimplimenta politika dwar it-trasport skaduta, megħjun u mħeġġeġ mill-inġinier-gaffa ta’ Infrastructure Malta Frederick Azzopardi. Azzopardi jidher li ma qatt ma tgħallem dwar prattiċi tal-inġinerija sostenibbli , moderni u etika fl-applikazzjoni tal-inġinerija. Ian Borg u Frederick Azzopardi qed jipperpetwaw b’mod irresponsabbli l-problema enfasizzata fil-Masterplan tat-Trasport 2025 tal-gvern stess, liema pjan jiddikjara li d-disinn tat-toroq f’Malta huwa ġeneralment orjentat lejn il-karozza u huwa kkaratterizzat min-nuqqas ta’spazju għal mezzi l-oħra kollha tat-trasport. Din l-istorja ta’ inkompetenza, u politika klijentalista tfisser li issa wasalna f’punt fejn hemm bżonn azzjoni drastika u ffokata fuq it-trasport u t-tniġġis.”

L-ERA u l-Ministeru għall-Ambjent, it-Tibdil fil-Klima u l-Ippjanar qed jitolbu lil pubbliku għal fehma tiegħu dwar l-għanijiet tal-pjan biex jiġi kontrollat t-tniġġis f’żoni urbani u dwar liema miżuri prattiċi jistgħu jiġu implimentati. Il-miżuri meħtieġa huma magħrufa sew u ADPD konsistentement qed tagħmel proposti dwar il-kwistjoni tat-trasport u l-kwalità tal-arja. Il-problema hi li l-PL u l-PN qatt m riedu jaqbdu l-barri minn qrunu u dejjem injoraw politika effettiva li tħares is-saħħa tan-nies. Iriduha ħobbla u tredda’ ma jmorrux jirfsu xi kallu ta’ xi ħadd. Sadanittant ir-residenti tal-aktar postijiet imniġġsa f’Malta jibqgħu jsofru.

Il-Gvern, jekk huwa serju, għandu jikkunsidra varjetà wiesgħa ta’ għażliet li diġà ġew implimentati f’pajjiżi aktar avvanzati u b’awtoritjiet aktar serji u aktar edukati dwar il-problema tat-tniġġis. Jekk il-Gvern irid li l-pjan dwar l-kwalità tal-arja jilħaq l-għanijiet tiegħu, t-traffiku għandu jitnaqqas drastikament minn żoni mniġġsa fil-Pietà, il-Furjana, l-Imsida, il-Marsa, il-Ħamrun, Ħal Qormi, Ħal Luqa u Raħal Ġdid. Dan l-għan jista’ jintlaħaq permezz ta’ pedestrijanizazzjoni, karreġġjati fit-toroq riservati biss għal tal-linja, sistema ta’ Bus Rapid Transit, u anke, eventwalment, linji tat-tramm. Żoni sħaħ, bħat-toroq prinċipali fil-Furjana, l-Imsida, il-Ħamrun, u Raħal Ġdid, jistgħu jiġu mfassla mill-ġdid biex jgħaddu biess minnhom vetturi tat-trasport pubbliku u mezzi alternattivi u nodfa ta’ trasport. Is-sistema diġà dgħajfa tal-aċċess għall-vetturi fil-Belt Valletta magħrufa bħala CVA, ġiet żarmata mill-Gvern. Din għandha tissaħħaħ u tiġi introdotta f’lokalitajiet mniġġsa oħra. Għandhom ukoll jiġu introdotti Low Emission Zones (LEZs) u Ultra Low Emission Zones  (ULEZs), li minnhom ma jkunux jistgħu jgħaddu vetturi li jniġġsu. Ta’ min isemmi li dil-miżura diġà msemmija fil-Masterplan tat-Trasport 2025. Il-Gvern injora dil-miżura fil-pjan tiegħu stess. Barra minn hekk hawn bżonn urġenti ta’ rotot xierqa u sikuri għar-roti, pedelecs u mezzi oħra nodfa ta’ trasport personali. Min jgħid li dawn il-miżuri ma jistgħux isiru mhux qed ikun onest. Il-Masterplan tat-Trasport 2025 filfatt jgħid li t-tul tal-vjaġġi medju fil-pajjiż ta’ 5.5km biss. Dan ifisser li jekk ikun hemm ir-rieda politika, il-miżuri neċessarji għal kwalità ta’ arja aħjar jistgħu jiġu implimentati faċilment.

Il-verità hi li kemm il-Partit Laburista, kif ukoll il-Partiti Nazzjonalisti ma’ għandhom l-ebda interess jew prinċipji sodi biżżejjed biex jaqbdu l-barri minn qrunu, u jippreferu jibbattibekkaw dwar il-prezz tal-petrol u diesel li tant iniġġsu, dwar il-kastelli fl-arja u proġetti redikoli bħall-mina bejn Għawdex u Malta, dwar fantażji li jqumu l-biljuni bħal xi metro li qatt ma tasal, u dwar kemm qerdu kampanja b’kilometri sħaħ ta’ toroq inutli. ADPD, min-naħa l-oħra, se tkompli tinsisti fuq miżuri mmirati, iffokati u effettivi biex itejbu l-kwalità tal-ħajja ta’ kulħadd.