There is the need to promote alternative means of transport, including transport by sea, with the aim of reducing the use of private cars which is harmful to our health and our standard of living.  This was highlighted by the Chairperson of ADPD – The Green Party Sandra Gauci when she addressed the press conference together with ADPD activist Axel Grima after taking the traditional water taxi from Vittoriosa to Valletta on Sunday morning. 

ADPD Chairperson Sandra Gauci said: “Traffic has become a scourge that we have to experience daily at all times.  This is due to many reasons – the number of cars in Malta is excessive and there seems to be no will from the government to curb these numbers.  On the other hand, there is also poor planning that we have to deal with on a daily basis, with road closures and a lack of practical and creative solutions. Sea transport can help reduce road traffic; although we already make use of it, we need to continue to strengthen it in a sustainable manner and incentivize this form of transport. Regulated services, such as the scheduled transport between Tas-Sliema and Marsamxett through public service obligation contracts should be expanded.  Obligations and standards should require the use of modern, low-emission vessels, amongst other things. Possible ferry routes are services between San Pawl il-Baħar and Tas-Sliema and Valletta, and services connecting Valletta, Marsaskala, Birżebbuġa, Tas-Sliema and Valletta.”

“We are confident that a modern ferry system has a huge potential to reduce traffic and cars on the roads. Traditional boatsman – barklori – can offer niche services. With some creativity a solution can be found for them too. Mass scheduled public transport by sea has a different target and market – the movement of large numbers of people from one point to another in the most efficient way possible.”

“The ‘improvement’ in our infrastructure is often not an improvement at all because it only promotes the use of private vehicles. It should be noted that more new cars are being registered every year than children are being born in Malta! All these cars are reducing our quality of life much more than some people are willing to admit. Cars are a major source of air pollution. Traffic and congestion are robbing us more and more of the little time we have left after a day’s work.  It hardly spares us time to enjoy our family and children, and it has become difficult to find time for ourselves and to meet friends,” concluded Gauci.

ADPD young activist Axel Grima said: “There is an urgent need to curb our dependence on private vehicles, with a holistic plan that covers a number of strategies.  Investment in infrastructure should make our roads more bus friendly, which should include the creation of more bus lanes and investment in a Bus Rapid Transit System. So those who choose to use public transport will enjoy an efficient service, and with fewer cars on the roads, those who choose to use their private vehicle would experience less congestion”.

“The pedestrianisation of squares and roads in our towns and villages is a means to disincentivize the use of cars, thus reducing congestion. Parking for non-residents in the locality may be restricted in order to achieve this goal. It is good to offer incentives such as grants for the purchase of bicycles, both electric and non-electric, which in my opinion are more suitable for an island like Malta.  Moreover, more trees on our roads can provide shelter from the heat of the sun and facilitate the use of bicycles,” concluded Grima.

***

Hemm bżonn ta’ pjan serju biex jitnaqqas l-użu tal-karozza

Hemm bżonn li nippromwovu mezzi alternattivi ta’ trasport inkluż dawk bil-baħar bil-għan li jonqos l-użu tal-karozzi privati li qiegħed ikun ta’ dannu għal saħħitna u l-livell tal-għajxien tagħna.  Dan sostnietu ċ-Chairperson tal-ADPD Sandra Gauci meta indirizzat konferenza tal-aħbarijiet mal-attivist żgħażugħ tal-ADPD Axel Grima wara li qasmu għall-Belt bid-dgħajsa tal-pass mill-Birgu, nhar il-Ħadd filgħodu.

Iċ-Chairperson tal-ADPD Sandra Gauci qalet: “It-traffiku sar pjaga li ta’ kuljum u kull ħin irridu nesperjenzjaw. Dan minħabba bosta raġunijiet; l-ammont ta’ karozzi f’Malta hu eċċessiv u donnu ma hemm ebda rieda mill-gvern li jitrażżnu. Min-naħa l-oħra, hemm ukoll ippjanar bażwi li ta’ kuljum irridu nħabbtu wiċċna miegħu,  b’ħafna toroq magħluqin f’daqqa,  u nuqqas  ta’ soluzzjonijiet prattiċi u kreattivi. It-trasport bil-baħar jista’ jgħin biex intaffu t-traffiku fit-toroq; għalkemm dan diġà nagħmlu użu minnu, hemm bżonn li nkomplu nsaħħuh b’mod sostenibbli u ninċentivawh. Sevizzi regolati – bħat-trasport bi skeda bejn tas-Sliema u Marsamxett permezz ta’ kuntratti b’public service obligation għandhom jiġu introdotti biex inaqqsu il-vjaġġi bil-karozzi. Importanti li l-istandards ikunu għoljin, bħall-obbligu li hemm li jintużaw catamarans moderni bejn tas-Sliema u Marsamxett. Bejn San Pawl il-Baħar u Tas-Sliema, u anke l-Belt, Marsaskala, Birżebbuġa u Tas-Sliema u l-Belt. Dawn kollha huma possibiltajiet li għandna nesploraw.”

“Aħna kunfidenti li b’sistema moderna ta’ trasport bil-baħar jistgħu verament jitnaqqsu l-karoziz mit-toroq, kunfidenti ukoll li l-barklori jistgħu jibqgħu joffru servizzi aktar ta’ niċċa milli tal-massa, u għaldaqstant bi ftit ħsieb tista’ tinstab soluzzjoni. Żgur li ma jtellfux l-ammonti ħafna akbar ta’ passiġġieri li s-servizz bi skeda jista’ jġorr. It-trasport bil-baħar għandu jkun trasport tal-massa u sostenibbli, filwaqt li jinstab spazju jew fejn possibbli ‘niċċa’ għal servizzi bħal tal-barklori. Żgur li soluzzjonijiet jistgħu jinstabu mingħajr ma jfixklu t-trasport bi skeda.”

“It-titjib fl-infrastruttura tagħna spiss ma huwa titjib xejn għax dan jippromwovi biss l-użu tal-vetturi privati. Ta’ min jinnota li qegħdin jiġu rreġistrati aktar karozzi ġodda milli qegħdin jitwieldu tfal f’Malta! Dawn il-karozzi kollha qegħdin inaqqsulna mill-kwalità tal-ħajja ħafna aktar milli xi nies huma lesti li jammettu. Il-karozzi huma sors ewlieni ta’ tniġġis tal-arja; it-traffiku u l-konġestjoni qegħdin jisirqulna aktar u aktar mill-ftit ħin li jifdlilna wara ġurnata xogħol;  bilkemm jifdlilna ħin biex ingawdu l-familja u t-tfal tagħna; sar diffiċli nsibu ħin għalina nfusna u biex niltaqgħu mal-ħbieb,” temmet tgħid Gauci. 

L-attivist żgħażugħ tal-ADPD Axel Grima qal: “Hemm bżonn urġenti li nrażżnu d-dipendenza fuq il-vetturi privati tagħna, bi pjan olistiku li jkopri għadd ta’ strateġiji: L-investiment fl-infrastruttura għandu jagħmel it-toroq tagħna aktar bus friendly, fost l-oħrajn billi noħolqu aktar karreġġjati għall-karozzi tal-linja (bus lanes), filwaqt li ninvestu f’Bus Rapid Transit System. B’hekk, min jagħżel li juża t-trasport pubbliku igawdi servizz effiċjenti; u b’anqas karozzi fit-toroq, dawk li jagħżlu li jużaw il-vettura privata tagħhom jesperjenzaw inqas konġestjoni” 

Grima kompla jgħid, “Il-pedestrijanizzazzjoni ta’ pjazez u toroq fil-bliet u l-irħula tagħna hi mezz biex nidiżinċentivaw l-użu tal-karozzi, u b’hekk innaqqsu l-konġestjoni. Il-parkkeġġ għal min mhux residenti fil-lokalita’ jista’ jiġi ristrett sabiex jintlaħaq dan il-għan. Tajjeb li noffru inċentivi bħal grants għal xiri ta’ roti, kemm normali kif ukoll elettriċi, li fil-fehma tiegħi huma aktar addattati għat-tlajja li għanda bil-bosta f’Malta.”

“Aktar siġar fit-toroq tagħna jistgħu jipprovdu kenn mis-sħana tax-xemx u jiffaċilitaw l-użu tar-rota,” temm jgħid Grima.