During a press conference in Attard this morning, ADPD – The Green Party spokespersons Carmel Cacopardo and Ralph Cassar said that the Central Link project failed to adhere to the modern principles applied in European countries whereby roads encourage sustainable mobility while supporting and improving the quality of life of communities.

“In Mdina Road we can see that traffic remained heavy even though this was meant to become a secondary road since additional lanes have been built as part of the Central Link project. Instead of a more sustainable use of space, this has simply led to more traffic pollution. The roads that have been designed to supposedly ease the traffic flow and prioritise speed are attracting more traffic to the residential and narrow streets of Attard’s centre to the detriment of the residents’ quality of life, resulting in more dangerous roads”, insisted ADPD – The Green Party General Secretary and candidate Dr Ralph Cassar.

“The modern vision of sustainable mobility and urban street design does not seem to have reached the Maltese shores. Roads should not focus on cars but on people and communities. An example of short-sightedness: bicycle racks installed here on the Warda 1 Bus Stop a few years ago were removed instead of increasing facilities for bicycles, for example. If the Central Link project was truly based on modern principles, this would have led to the establishment of open spaces for pedestrians, secure passageways for bicycles and a dedicated bus lane for public transport. But this road has simply extended the new lanes of the Central Link project with cars and speed a priority resulting in a road which is not people friendly. Instead, this road should have been designated for low speeds, giving priority to alternative means of transport. There should have been open urban spaces and trees making the road more attractive instead of this desert of tarmac. Instead, the Prime Minister and the Minister for Transport have given us: high speeds and continuous traffic, priority for cars over people, a magnet for more and more traffic and a road where pedestrians are considered a hindrance and are not welcome. This counters completely the modern vision for urban zones around Europe.”

ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that while traffic congestion on our roads is a major problem, unfortunately those responsible for our transport policy seem not to be aware that this congestion is not due to the length or width of our roads but due to the number of cars on the road. Instead of a modern vision what we have in Malta are years of a short-sighted PLPN mentality, which has brought us roads which increase congestion and pollution and a vicious circle of road building which cause more congestion. This phenomenon is well documented, but some don’t bother to keep themselves up-to-date.

“Our roads do not have the capacity for more cars that have been increasing more than the size and the needs of our islands require. The National Transport Plan references a basic analysis to what is the problem: we have not been able to take a long-term view in transport planning i.e. in Malta we have been looking at the immediate benefits while ignoring the long-term impacts.”

“Specifically in the section entitled ‘Improving the planning and design for an integrated long-term transport policy’ the National Transport Plan states: ‘…it can be seen from experience that the approach to transport planning and policy in Malta has generally been more short-term (4-5 years) in nature. The lack of importance given to long-term planning means that a long-term integrated plan based on solid analysis with clear objectives and targets is lacking. This has resulted in the lack of strategic direction and the inherent inability to address difficult issues such as private vehicle restraint. There is a strong reluctance for Maltese society to change but this is in contrast with the need for communal action to address the traffic problems existing now and in the future. This results in the Maltese traveller expecting that everyone else will change their travel habits so that they can continue to drive their car. (section 2.2.1 of Transport Master Plan)”

“The situation is crystal clear. We have a problem: car dependency. Widening or lengthening roads will only solve the traffic congestion problem for a short period of time. However, as studies in other countries have repeatedly shown, roads infrastructure projects increase traffic and therefore end up increasing congestion. On the other hand, reducing car dependency is a long-term process that will not be looked at favourably by voters! However, a modern transport vision and urban zones design will effectively lead to a better quality of life.”

“Today’s problems are being transferred to the future generations. Because the traffic congestion we are suffering today is the price we have to pay for the accumulated incompetence in transport policy over different PLPN administrations. Addressing the real problems has been avoided so far. But there are no magic wand solutions: the problem has to be faced head on. In the meantime, the problem will only get worse.”

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Is-Central Link – kalamita tat-traffiku fil-qalba ta’ Ħ’Attard

Waqt konferenza stampa f’Ħ’Attard is-sibt, il-kelliema ta’ ADPD – The Green Party, Carmel Cacopardo u Ralph Cassar qalu li l-proġett tas-Central Link ma mexiex ma’ prinċipji li qed jintużaw f’pajjiżi Ewropej biex jagħmlu toroq li jinkoraġġixxu l-mobilità sostenibbli, u jsaħħu l-komunitajiet.

“Qegħdin hawn fi Triq l-Imdina, li għalkemm suppost saret triq sekondarja għax inbnew toroq u karreġġjati oħra bħala parti mill-proġett Central Link, xorta baqgħet triq mimlija traffiku. Kull ma sar huwa li żdied l-ispazju għat-traffiku u għat-tniġġis, minflok sar użu aktar għaqli tal-ispazji. It-toroq li huma ddisinjati biex jiffaċilitaw it-traffiku minflok itejbu l-kwalità tal-ħajja tan-nies qed jiġbdu aktar u aktar traffiku lejn it-toroq residenzjali u dojoq fil-qalba ta’ Ħ’Attard, bir-riżultat li t-toroq qed isiru aktar u aktar perikolużi”, saħaq Dr Ralph Cassar, Segretarju Ġenerali u kandidat ta’ ADPD – The Green Party.

“It-toroq – fil-viżjoni moderna, liema viżjoni mid-dehra għadha ma qasmitx il-baħar u waslet Malta – m’għandhomx ikunu ċentrati madwar il-karozza, iżda madwar in-nies u l-komunitajiet. Eempju wieħed: f’din it-triq tneħħew bicycle racks li kienu saru ftit snin ilu minflok żdiedu! Kieku verament il-proġett tas-Central Link kien ibbażat fuq prinċipji moderni, kieku l-parti l-kbira ta’ dit-triq kienet tinbidel fi pjazzez għan-nies, passaġġi sikuri għar-roti, u f’bus lane dedikata apposta. Imma dit-triq żdiedet mal-karreġġjati l-ġodda tas-Central Link – il-karozzi u l-veloċità huma l-prijorità, u n-nies u r-residenti baqgħu fi triq li mhix ‘people friendly’. Dit-triq missha ġiet disinjata għal veloċitajiet baxxi. F’dit-triq mezzi alternattivi ta’ trasport misshom ingħataw prijorità assoluta. F’dit-triq missu hawn spazji urbani miftuħa u siġar li jagħmlu t-triq atraenti, minflok deert ta’ tarmak. Minflok il-Prim Ministru u l-Ministru tat-trasport tawna: veloċitajiet għolja u traffiku kontinwu, tawna triq fejn il-karozzi aktar importanti min-nies u l-pedestrians, tawna triq li sservi ta’ kalamita għat-traffiku, u triq fejn in-nies mhux mistiedna għax ‘itellfu’ lill-karozzi. Kollox bil-kontra tal-viżjoni moderna dwar iż-żoni urbani madwar l-Ewropa.”

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo qal li filwaqt li l-konġestjoni tat-traffiku fit-toroq tagħna hi problema kbira, hi sfortuna kbira li dawk responsabbli biex jimplimentaw il-politika dwar it-trasport qishom mhux konxji li l-konġestjoni tat-toroq tagħna mhix ikkawżata mit-tul jew mill-wisa’ tat-toroq imma min-numru ta’ karozzi li jagħmlu użu minnhom. Il-mentalità l-antika u n-nuqqas ta’ viżjoni tal-PLPN ġabet toroq li joħolqu l-konġestjoni u ċirku vizzjuż ta’ aktar toroq u spazji mimlijin traffiku. Dan il-fenomenu huu dokumentat u ppruvat, kif kull min jindenja ruħu jsegwi u jara studji f’pajjii u bliet madwar id-dinja jinduna waħdu.

“It-toroq tagħna ma jesgħux iktar karozzi li żdiedu b’mod sproporzjonat għad-daqs u l-ħtiġijiet ta’ dawn il-gżejjer. Il-Pjan Nazzjonali għat-Trasport fih referenza għall-analiżi bażika li tindika x’qed jikkawża l-problemi tagħna: s’issa ma konniex kapaċi nħarsu fit-tul fl-ippjanar tat-trasport. Jiġifieri aħna nfittxu l-benefiċċji mmedjati u ninjoraw l-impatti fit-tul.”

“B’mod speċifiku taħt it-titlu ‘Intejbu l-ippjanar u d-diżinn għat-trasport integrat u li jħares fit-tul’ il-Pjan Nazzjonali għat-Trasport jgħid hekk: ‘…nistgħu naraw, mill-esperjenza, li l-politika u l-ippjanar tat-trasport f’Malta ġeneralment ħares lejn l-immedjat (4 sa 5 snin). In-nuqqas li tingħata importanza lejn l-ippjanar fit-tul ifisser li ma hemm l-ebda pjan integrat ibbażat fuq analiżi solida, b’miri ċari li jħarsu fit-tul. Dan wassal għal nuqqas ta’ direzzjonji strateġika u n-nuqqas ta’ kapaċità li jkunu indirizzati materji diffiċli bħall-kontroll fuq l-użu ta’ karozzi privati. Is-soċjetà Maltija bil-mod biex tiċċaqlaq, u dan f’kuntrast mal-ħtieġa għal azzjoni biex il-problema tat-traffiku tkun indirizzata kemm illum kif ukoll fil-futur. Dan iwassal biex il-vjaġġatur Malti jistenna li kulħadd jibdel id-drawwiet tiegħu ħalli hu jkun jista’ jibqa’ jsuq il-karozza.’ (sezzjoni 2.2.1 tal-Pjan Nazzjonali tat-Transport).”

“L-affarijiet huma ċari. Il-problema hi waħda: d-dipendenza tagħna fuq il-karozzi. Toroq li jkunu usa’ jew itwal jistgħu jsolvu l-problema tal-konġestjoni tat-traffiku għal żmien limitat. Imma kif ġie repetutament ippruvat minn studji li saru f’diversi pajjiżi oħra, l-interventi fl-infrastruttura tat-toroq, fl-aħħar jispiċċaw biex iżidu l-konġestjoni tat-traffiku, u dan għax iżidu it-traffiku. Min-naħa l-oħra, il-proċess biex jitnaqqas id-dipendenza fuq il-karozza jieħu l-ħin, u l-votanti mhux se jieħdu ġost! Imma fir-realtà b’viżjoni moderna tat-trasport u disinn taż-żoni urbani l-kwalità tal-ħajja tan-nies titjieb.”

“Il-problemi tal-lum, għadhom qed ikunu trasferiti f’ħoġor il-ġenerazzjonjiet futuri. Għax il-konġestjoni tat-traffiku hu l-prezz li l-ġenerazzjoni tal-lum qed tħallas għall-inkompetenza akkumulata tal-gvernijiet differenti fl-amministrazzjoni tal-politika tat-trasport. Sal-lum ġie evitat li jkunu ndirizzati l-problemi reali. Fir-realtà ma hemmx soluzzjonjijiet maġiċi: irridu naffrontaw il-problema. Sakemm nagħmlu hekk, il-problema tikber biss tista’.”