AD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo and local councillor Ralph Cassar addressed a press conference in Attard.

Carmel Cacopardo said that the Government’s policy on transport and mobility is anything but sustainable and is increasing traffic and pollution. Carmel Cacopardo said that residential roads should be made safer and people friendly. Local councils and councillors should continue to work to turn more roads in their localities into people friendly spaces where cars do not occupy all the available space. “Unfortunately Councils and councillors who work and propose measures make residential roads people friendly are not finding the cooperation of Transport Malta, which shoots down measures which reduce the space for cars. Here in Attard the situation will worsen with the building of a new arterial roads which will split the village in two. It will push public transport further away from residents and attract more and more cars and pollution to Attard. The road, known as Central Link, will not offer adequate facilities for bicycles and will destroy good agricultural land. It will exacerbate congestion rather than solve it”, said Cacopardo.

Ralph Cassar, AD Secretary General and local councillor in Attard spoke about the need for towns and villages in Malta and Gozo to be connected with segregated and safe paths, especially along arterial roads, to make the journeys of those using bicycles and electric bicycles safe. “Every bike that used to commute means one less car on the road”. He added: “A report, which is not published, stating that with the construction of new arterial roads we will save 12 minutes of travel time week is a big fat joke. A serious report on traffic congestion published by the University of Malta’s Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development, entitled The External Costs of Passenger and Commercial Vehicles use in Malta’ determined that traffic congestion was taking up 52 hours per year, or 60 minutes per week, much more than that announced by the Minister for Transport last week.”

“Traffic congestion is the result of our acute dependence on cars. It is this dependence which should be addressed without further delay. Unfortunately Government and its agencies are doing their utmost to avoid the elephant in the room. There are many possible measures, including, a Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT), linking main localities with reserved lanes for buses in our roads. Other measures include low emissions zones and congestion charges in the most polluted areas. Councils should be encouraged and helped restrict cars from residential streets and increase pedestrian zones. Unfortunately councillors are up against Transport Malta. Their aim seems to be cramming as many cars as possible in public spaces at the expense of people and residents.”

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Għal Transport Malta u l-Gvern t-traffiku jiġi qabel in-nies

Carmel Cacopardo, Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika illum indirizza konferenza stampa f’Ħ’Attard flimkien mal-kunsillier Ralph Cassar.

Qal li l-politika tal-Gvern dwar it-trasport u l-mobilità qed iżżid it-traffiku u t-tniġġis. Qal li hemm bżonn li toroq residenzjali jsiru aktar siguri u li l-Kunsilli Lokali jkomplu jaħdmu biex it-toroq isiru spazji għan-nies u mhux għall-karozzi. “Sfortunatament il-Kunsilli u l-kunsilliera li jaħdmu u jipproponu tibdiliet li jiffavorixxu lin-nies fit-toroq tal-lokalitajiet qed isibu tfixkil minn Transport Malta, li moħħha biex iżżid l-ispazju għall-karozzi. Hawn f’Ħ’Attard is-sitwazzjoni se tmur għall-agħar bi triq li taqsam lir-raħal minn nofs, timbotta t-trasport pubbliku aktar ‘il-bogħod mir-residenti u tiġbed aktar u aktar karozzi u tniġġis lejn Ħ’Attard. Agħar u agħar it-triq, magħrufa bħala Central Link, mhux se toffri faċilitajiet adegwati għar-roti u se teqred ammont ta’ raba’ għal xejn”, sostna Cacopardo.

Ralph Cassar, Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ AD u kunsillier f’Ħ’Attard tkellem dwar il-bżonn li l-irħula u l-ibliet kollha f’Malta u Għawdex ikunu magħqudin b’passaġġi siguri, speċjalment tul t-toroq arterjali għal min jixtieq juża r-rota u r-rota elettrika. “Kull rota li tintuża għall-ivjaġġar tfisser karozza anqas fit-triq”. Żied:”Ir-rapport, li mhux ippublikat, li jgħid li bil-bini ta’ toroq arterjali ġodda se niffrankaw 12-il minuta vjaġġar fil-ġimgħa huwa fantażija u daħka fil-wiċċ. Rapport serju dwar il-kongestjoni tat-traffiku thejja mill-Universita ta’ Malta u ġie ippubblikat mill-Istitut tat-Tibdil fil-Klima u l-Iżvilupp Sostenibbli. Dan ir-rapport intitolat ‘The External Costs of Passenger and Commercial Vehicles use in Malta’, kien identifika li l-konġestjoni tat-traffiku kienet qed tiklilna 52 siegħa fis-sena, jiġifieri 60 minuta fil-ġimgħa, ferm iktar minn dak li ħabbar il-Ministru tat-Trasport il-ġimgħa l-oħra.”

“Il-konġestjoni tat-traffiku hi riżultat tad-dipendenza akuta tagħna lkoll fuq il-karozzi. Hija din id-dipendenza li għandha tkun indirizzata bla iktar dewmien. Sfortunatament hu propju dan li l-Gvern u l-aġenziji tiegħu qed jagħmlu ħilithom kollha biex jevitaw illi jindirizzaw. Miżuri li jistgħu jittieħdu hemm bosta, fosthom, sistema magħrufa bħala Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), li tgħaqqad il-lokalitajiet prinċipali b’korsiji fit-toroq riservati biss għal tal-linja. Żoni l-aktar imniġġsa għandhom jiġu dikjarati ‘low emmission zones’, b’sistema ta’ congestion charges. Il-Kunsilli għandhom jiġu mħajjra u mgħejuna jirrestrinġi l-karozzi minn toroq residenzjali u iżidu ż-żoni pedestrijanizzati. Sfortunatament illum isibu ħafna tfixkil minn Transport Malta li xogħolha milli jidher huwa li jkeċċu n-nies mit-toroq.”