The whole picture about transport, electric cars and climate

While Labour Government and PN are in Father Christmas mode, they are failing to explain the whole picture when it comes to transport, electricity and climate change. Following the publication of the document “Towards Cleaner Vehicles on Our Roads” released last June, another document on charging points for electric vehicles has now been issued, the “National Policy for Electric Vehicle Public Charging Infrastructure”. Like the previous document, this new document raises many questions to which the government seems to have no answers, instead of proposing solutions.

ADPD – The Green Party Secretary General, Dr Ralph Cassar said: “A serious consultation process should mean that government proposes different scenarios and a plan, which is then discussed in detail and improved. Once again we have a document that instead of looking at the changes that need to be made and giving us the whole picture, ignores the most important aspects of sustainable mobility.”

“Among the things the government mentions in the document is the effect of a substantial increase in electric vehicles on the electricity distribution system. However the document does not propose solutions. All it says is that electricity provider Enemalta should be consulted. The fact is, no matter how hard they try to hide it, it is not possible for the distribution system to keep up with the current number of cars on the roads. It seems that the amount of electricity consumed will increase so much that any new generation of clean energy will end up not meeting the demand. How will the zero carbon targets be met? It is pertinent to point out that with the exaggerated amount of cars on the road emissions will not decrease enough – even though the government is boasting of a new interconnector. All that will happen is that we will export the emissions to the source of energy. Malta will eventually have to pay EU taxes on carbon anyway because the electricity in the interconnector is not clean electricity. The other parties fail to mention that their interconnector ‘brainwave’ does not really reduce pollution and climate-damaging gases.”

ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that the fact that the government is planning to electrify the vehicle fleet should lead it to immediately declare an immediate moratorium on the construction of new petrol stations. “Conveniently government fails to take this step. Another important impact government is not mentioning is the substantial excise revenue on petrol and diesel. This revenue stream will dry up. The 2021 financial estimates put the revenue at an estimated €154 million. Government should have the courage to tell us how it intends to replace this revenue from other sources. Let us not kid ourselves – this substantial revenue is essential to sustain important public services. Some time ago the government had said that the consultancy firm PwC had prepared a report on the impact of the change from vehicles using fossil fuels to electric vehicles on government revenues. This report should be published. How can we have a serious public consultation exercise if government remains silent on such important aspects? We agree that the country should recover the costs of electrification, including for additional consumption of electricity. This revenue should be used to support additional services and infrastructure for public transport and cleaner means of transport other than the car. Whoever is promising low prices is not being realistic and honest. What we are asking for is for more transparency on government’s part. Do the proposed electricity prices for car charging include a replacement for the excise on fossil fuel excise? This revenue is necessary and the country needs it – the government needs to be clear on this important point.”

Electrification of the vehicle fleet on its own is insufficient and must be accompanied by other measures to reduce road traffic. It is clear that government has no intention of reducing vehicles on our roads, probably hoping that the price of electric cars will lead to a reduction on its own. The government’s own Transport Masterplan states that 50% of journeys are less than 15 minutes long. This makes it possible for several measures to be implemented, some of which are mentioned in the government’s own Masterplan but whose implementation has so far been postponed. The measures to be taken include the following:

  • Upgrading and improving roads to make them safer, including pedestrianisation, low-emission zones, and ‘people-friendly roads’. So far every possible space has been given over to vehicles and different modes of transport are being relegated to the sides;
  • Safe routes for bicycles along all main roads, and priority for bicycles, electric bicycles and scooters on town and village roads;
  • A Bus Rapid Transit System – with lanes on roads reserved for buses only.
  • Free public transport for everyone.”

L-istampa kollha dwar it-trasport, il-karozzi elettriċi u l-klima

Filwaqt li l-Gvern Laburista u l-PN mhedijin f’xulxin, mhux qegħdin jgħidulna l-istampa kollha fejn jidħol il-qasam tat-trasport, l-elettriku u l-bidla fil-klima. Wara d-dokument “Towards Cleaner Vehicles on Our Roads” li ħareġ f’Ġunju li għadda, issa ħareġ dokument ieħor dwar ‘charging points’ għal vetturi elettriċi, “National Policy for Electric Vehicle Public Charging Infrastructure”. Bħad-dokument ta’ qablu dan id-dokument il-ġdid ma jagħti l-ebda soluzzjonijiet tanġibbli, iżda jagħmel ħafna mistoqsijiet li għalihom il-gvern jidher li m’għandux tweġibiet.

Dr Ralph Cassar, Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD – The Green Party qal:”Proċess ta’ konsultazzjoni bis-serjetà jfisser li l-gvern jipproponi xenarji differenti u pjan, u ssir diskussjoni fuqu. Għal darboħra għandna dokument li minflok iħares lejn il-bidliet li hemm bżonn isiru u jtina l-istampa kollha, jinjora l-aspetti l-aktar importanti tal-mobilità sostenibbli.”

“Fost l-affarijiet li l-gvern isemmi fid-dokument hemm l-effett ta’ żieda sostanzjali ta’ vetturi elettriċi fuq is-sistema tad-distribuzzjoni tal-elettriku. Kull ma jgħid id-dokument huwa li l-Enemalta għandha tiġi konsultata, u jieqaf hemm. Il-fatt hu, jaħbuha kemm jippruvaw jaħbuha, li mhux possibbli li nibqgħu bl-ammont ta’ karozzi li għandna bħalissa, għax is-sistema ma tiflaħx. Tant jidher li se jiżdied l-ammont ta’ elettriku konsmat li kull avvanz fil-ġenerazzjoni ta’ enerġija nadifa se jispiċċa ma jlaħħaqx mad-domanda. Kif se jintlaħqu l-miri ta’ żero karbonju? Ta’ min isemmi li bl-ammont esaġerat ta’ karozzi l-emissjonijiet mhux se jonqsu biżżejjed – avolja l-gvern qed jiftaħar b’interconnector ġdid. Kull m’hu se jiġri hu li l-emissjonijiet se nesportawhom u eventwalment se jkollna nħallsu biz-zalza għalihom għax l-elettriku tal-interconnector mhux elettriku nadif. Il-kompetizzjoni bejn il-partiti l-oħra biex jieħdu l-prosit għall-interconnectors huwa kollu bżar fl-għajnejn.”

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo qal li l-fatt li l-gvern qed jippjana għall-elettrifikazzjoni tal-flotta tal-vetturi għandu jwassal biex il-gvern immedjatament jiddikjara moratorju immedjat fuq il-bini ta’ pompi tal-petrol ġodda. “Hekk titlob is-serjetà. Konvenjentament il-gvern jonqos li jieħu dal-pass. Aspett ieħor li l-gvern mhux qed isemmi huwa d-dħul sostanzjali mis-sisa fuq il-petrol u d-diesel. Dan hu dħul important li se jispicca. Fl-estimi għas-sena 2021 hu stmat li jlaħħaq €154 miljun. Il-gvern għandu jkollu l-kuraġġ jgħidilna minn liema sorsi bi ħsiebu jdaħħal dawn il-flus li huma essenzjali biex isostni s-servizzi tiegħu. Xi żmien ilu l-gvern kien qal li konsulenti mill-PwC ħejjew rapport dwar l-impatt tal-bidla minn vetturi li jużaw il-fossil fuels għal dawk elettriċi fuq id-dħul tal-gvern. Dan ir-rapport għandu jiġi ppublikat. Kif jista’ jgħid li qed issir konsultazzjoni meta fuq punti hekk importanti l-gvern jibqa’ sieket? Naqblu li l-pajjiż għandu jirkupra l-ispejjeż tal- elettrifikazzjoni, inkluż għall-elettriku użat. Anzi ngħidu dan id-dħul għandu jintuża biex isostni servizzi addizzjonali u infrastuttura għal trasport pubbliku u mezzi aktar nodfa ta’ trasport. Min qed iwiegħed prezzijiet bir-ribass mhux qed ikun realistiku u onest. Li nitolbu hija aktar trasparenza min-naħa tal-gvern. Il-prezzijiet proposti tal-elettriku għaċ-charging tal-karozzi jinkludi s-sisa li l-gvern qed idaħħal bħalissa mill-petrol u d-diesel? Dan id-dħul huwa neċessarju u l-pajjiż għandu bżonnu – hemm bżonn li l-gvern ikun ċar fuq dan il-punt hekk importanti.”

“L-elettrifikazzjoni tal-flotta tal-vetturi mhux biżżejjed u għandha tkun akkumpanjata minn miżuri biex jonqos it-traffiku mit-toroq. Kif se jsir it-tnaqqis fil-vetturi, il-gvern qed jispera li dawn se jonqsu waħedhom minħabba l-prezzijiet għoljin tal-karozzi elettriċi? Il-Masterplan dwar it-Trasport tal-gvern stess jgħid li 50% tal-vjaġġi huma ta’ inqas minn 15-il minuta. Dan jagħmilha possibbli li jittieħdu bosta miżuri, uħud minnhom msemmijin fil-Masterplan tal-gvern stess imma li s’issa l-implimentazzjoni tagħhom ġiet posposta. Il-miżuri li għandhom jittieħdu jinkludu s-segwenti:

  • Tibdil fit-toroq biex isiru aktar sikuri, inkluż pedestrijanizazzjoni, low-emission zones, u toroq ‘people friendly’. S’issa kull spazju possibbli ingħata lill-vetturi u modi differenti ta’ traport qed jiġu relegati għal ġnub;
  • Rotot sikuri għar-roti tul it-toroq prinċipali kollha, u prijorità għar-roti, roti elettriċi u scooters fit-toroq tal-bliet u l-irħula;
  • Sistema ta’ Bus Rapid Transit – b’kareġġjati riservati biss għal tal-linja.
  • Trasport pubbliku b’xejn għal kulħadd u b’mod immedjat .”
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