Minor court cases should be shifted from Valletta to district-level courthouses as part of a broader plan to ease traffic congestion, PN leader Bernard Grech said on Thursday.

Speaking on The F Living Show with Karl Bonaci, Grech emphasised the importance of addressing traffic hotspots, and said the commute to Valletta by hundreds of people for minor court cases contributed to congestion, particularly during peak hours.

“Every morning, from Monday to Friday, hundreds—if not thousands—of people drive to Valletta for court hearings. Cases which are small, such as disputes between neighbours, can be heard in their respective districts instead of in Valletta.”

He acknowledged that his proposal might be opposed by judges, lawyers and frequent court visitors but he said that decentralising small cases could significantly ease traffic pressures.

Other measures to improve traffic management could include encouraging cycling, promoting shared transport systems, expanding teleworking initiatives, and better organisation and planning of road works, he said.

Karl Bonaci and Bernard Grech on F Living

During the programme, Grech turned his attention to Malta’s growing population, criticizing the government for relying solely on population growth to sustain the economy. “The government has given up on controlling the population,” he said. “It has only one plan—to increase the population every year.”

While acknowledging the availability of well-paying jobs in sectors like finance, Grech raised concerns about reliance on low-skilled foreign workers. He proposed adopting a more measured approach by utilising automation and AI to reduce dependence on certain categories of workers, particularly those from outside the EU. “Where we do not have another option, we will get foreign workers, but not in such numbers,” Grech said.  

He also suggested shifting focus to attracting higher-spending tourists, aligning with his broader goal of managing population growth. Malta would benefit more from 50 tourists spending €100 each a day than “100 tourists spending €50 each,” as this approach would generate the same revenue while requiring fewer workers and put less pressure on the infrastructure.  

The conversation also delved into ethical governance, with Grech referencing the Standards Commissioner’s recent report finding the Gozo and the now-ex Tourism Minister guilty of breaching ethics. He called on the public to protest in front of Parliament next Monday to demand accountability.

“The funds that were stolen (through a consultancy job abusively given to the then tourism minister's wife at the Gozo ministry)  is not just of Nationalist Party supporters but of Labour supporters and even people who belong to no party—it belongs to the entire population,” he declared.

Grech reiterated his party’s call for the resignation of Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri following the resignation of Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo, emphasizing the need for higher ethical standards in governance.