Friends of the Earth Malta welcomes the decision to reform the public transport system in Malta as a long-awaited and much needed move for the country. Aiming for a more efficient system means more people may be willing to leave their cars at home and use this service. The benefits are widespread: less traffic congestion, less noise and less pollution.
Friends of the Earth Malta states that public transport should continue to be regulated by government. In the hands of a private business, routes which do not provide a large profit margin may be left out.
For these reforms to be truly successful, they will need to convince the public that public transport is a reliable and effective alternative to using a car, catering for all their needs at most times of the day, including at night. If the system does indeed become more efficient, but the car-using public still fails to use it, then the reforms cannot be considered a success.
In this respect, efficiency needs to be combined with financial benefits. An expensive public transport system, which does not allow the public to save much on the petrol they would otherwise use, will probably not have the desired effects. It is also important to make available reduced ticket prices for particular social groups. Eliminating state subsidies might well defeat the purpose of the whole reform, leaving us with public transport which many people still choose not to use.
Increased public transport efficiency will only be achieved if its aim is to provide a service which all can use when they need to, independently of which area they need to travel to and from including Gozo. Viability of a service with a view to maximising revenue would lead to a situation where people living or working along less frequented routes would have access to less regular buses which may stop operating earlier than others. Indeed, transport which does not remain active until late hours is unlikely to be of much use to both locals and tourists who wish to make use of the service as a sole means of transport and do away with having a car altogether.
Government funds directed towards the new transport system should be a priority given the positive impact its success could have on the country as a whole. Funds currently allocated for projects which are damaging to the environment or which are not being used effectively should be relocated to this sector, keeping in mind that transport is an issue affecting the Maltese public’s daily lives.
If Malta accomplishes the goal of reducing cars from our congested roads, we will be one step closer towards achieving the carbon emissions reduction which our government has committed itself to. The public transport reform must include the purchase of EURO 4 and EURO 5 buses. Buses which operate below EURO 4 standards will not aid Malta to reach its emissions targets.
This reform is a golden opportunity to successfully address the flaws in our current public transport system. Friends of the Earth Malta urges the government to seize this chance for a long term success.
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