Metro plans absent from new transport master plan

A transport master plan launched last week makes no mention of a much-publicised metro system, instead raising the prospect of a bus rapid transit system.

The National Transport Master Plan 2030, launched for public consultation on November 10, promises to act as the blueprint for Malta’s road, sea and air transport over the coming years. However, despite recent public proclamations about ongoing studies by international firm Arup into a metro system, it does not feature in the master plan at all.

Instead, the master plan promises to “assess the feasibility of a mass rapid transit system” more broadly, mentioning a bus rapid transit system as one potential option.

“There is therefore a clear need for a mass transport system which is fast, efficient and meets citizens’ expectations,” the master plan says. To address this, authorities “will explore the feasibility of a number of different types of mass rapid transit systems, including Bus Rapid Transport, amongst others”.

Malta first toyed with the idea of introducing a bus rapid transit system, which uses dedicated lanes to shuttle buses from one destination to the next, almost two decades ago.

In 2007, the government commissioned British firm Halcrow Group to explore the prospect of introducing a similar system. A bus rapid transit system “has great scope” for improving public transport and encouraging a modal shift, the firm concluded.

Nevertheless, plans were shelved.

Bus rapid transit system floated last year

The idea resurfaced in recent years, with the PN proposing a similar trackless tram system in its 2022 electoral manifesto.

More recently, Transport Minister Chris Bonett floated the possibility of a bus rapid transit system last year in an interview with Times of Malta.

The system was also trumpeted by ADPD as the “most logical” for Malta.

The government had promised that Malta’s new mass transit system would be unveiled by the end of the year. With that deadline fast approaching, discussions have been dominated by talk of a hybrid underground/overground metro system.

Initial plans for a sprawling €6.2 billion metro system, first announced to great fanfare in 2021, had been pared back to a more streamlined €2.8 billion network, Robert Abela said recently.

Bonett has more recently said that Arup’s feasibility study into the metro project is being finalised.

However, plans have been met with scepticism in some quarters, most prominently by Finance Minister Clyde Caruana, who warned that opting for the wrong transport system could “royally screw” the country, given the costs involved.

Nonetheless, as transport authorities mull their options, Malta’s congestion shows little signs of abating, adding to the strain on Malta’s public purse.

The master plan notes that congestion is estimated to have cost the country €400 million, or 3.6% of its GDP in 2022.

Unless drastic action is taken, congestion will cost the country €1.28 billion per year by 2050, authorities warn, effectively wiping out over 8% of the country’s GDP.

In a statement, Transport Malta accused Times of Malta of misinterpreting the Master Plan and taking it out of context.

It said the mass-transport options "do not exclude a metro system or other solutions". 

"The Government has already stated on multiple occasions that detailed studies on mass transport are currently underway and include the integration of systems involving tram, buses, and maritime transport," it said. 

"It would have been irresponsible for the Government to commit itself to a specific project before these technical studies are completed."