AD proposes to liberalise public transport

Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Harry Vassallo yesterday said his party is proposing the liberalisation of public transport since "although some of the buses have been changed, the service has not improved one little bit".

Speaking during a press conference near Hastings Gardens in Valletta, which overlooks the Valletta bus terminus, Dr Vassallo said his party is also proposing to extend bus lanes throughout the country. He said the use of private vehicles is becoming more and more disadvantageous for motorists who want to get from one place to another.

The maximum speed limit on Maltese roads is 40 kilometres an hour which is frustrating for many motorists. As a result, bus lanes and a more efficient public transport service would serve as an incentive for motorists to leave their car at home and use this service instead, he said.

Dr Vassallo said his party was proposing the introduction of competition to improve the service. "We will look at the rules that regulate public transport and ensure that these allow the use of innovative solutions," he said.

AD - which hopes to be in a coalition government after the forthcoming general election - is also proposing the introduction of resident parking schemes across the country, following consultation within the various localities. Schemes already exist in several localities.

He said that in a coalition government, AD would make specific proposals to reward those who pollute least and would propose a mass transit system, such as an underground, to make transportation cleaner and easier.