Coming soon: Chris Bonett answers your questions about the new traffic measures
His plan caused a stir, and now he sits down with Times Talk to clear the air
The traffic plan Chris Bonett rolled out last month got everyone talking, which is why Times Talk sat down with him this week to clear the air on who will be eligible for the more controversial grants and to ask him to what extent the plan will sort out the traffic jam situation in the longer run.
What if people take up the €25,000 offer, give up their car and then take a cab everywhere? Wouldn't that mean no cars were effectively taken off the roads?
And what if most people who take up that offer are elderly who were about to stop driving soon anyway, or people who seldom use their car, or drive only in their neighbourhood or village? These people are not causing the traffic problem, so they will hardly solve congestions by giving up their licence and taking the hefty grant.
And is he comfortable asking young people to switch to motorcycles instead of cars? Would he want his own children riding motorbikes on roads often that are often dangerous?
In the podcast, which will be released on Wednesday, Bonett acknowledged he will likely not solve the traffic problems but vowed to bring about a culture shift in the way people travel.
He said that while immediate solutions are hard to come by, these are only short-term measures to tackle Malta's traffic woes, and a broader, mass transportation system is needed in the long term.
Bonett said he would like people to rethink their relationship with cars, and fincnacial incentives are one way he wants to get there.
“Even if one person takes up a scheme that would already be an improvement,” he said.
He said he is ready to consider other options but remains firm on not introducing measures that discourage people from using their cars.
“Every time the government tried to force people to do something, it didn’t work," he said. "We must get people on board."
The full Times Talk podcast with that interview will be released on Times of Malta, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and social media on Wednesday.