This is the PN's transport plan

The Natonalist Party has given details of transport reform plans in its electoral manifesto, saying that while people will not be punished for using their cars, they will be given a proper and viable choice to use alternative transport.

Among the choices will be a rapid mass transport system and a new system where road licences will be charged according to usage.

Cars used up to 500 kilometres per year will pay no circulation licence. From 500 kilometres up to 5,000 km, the fee will increase gradually up to 80% of the licence. Beyond that, the fee will continue to increase until it reaches the maximum licence limit.

"This measure rewards those who reduce unnecessary car use, those who keep a secondary car that is used less, and those who choose more sustainable options such as walking, public transport, and reducing short trips. It is a fair measure: it does not penalise those who need a car, but it gives a direct benefit to those who use it less."

In its electoral manifesto launched on Monday night, the PN said traffic has become one of the greatest burdens on families, workers, businesses, and quality of life.

An 11.5km, €1.5bn line in five years

Therefore, a new Nationalist government will deliver the biggest leap in mobility, including a national Mass Rapid Transport system, primarily underground, beginning with its first phase on the North–South line. 

The first phase of the Mass Rapid Transport system will be a North-South line of around 11.5 kilometres, eight stations, and 10 trains. The estimated capital investment for this phase will be around €1.4 billion.

The aim is for the first service to begin within the first five years of a new government.

The second phase will include another line and an extension of the first line, with an estimated capital investment of around €2.5 billion. Altogether, the two main lines would have a capital cost of around €3.9 billion over a number of years and the capacity to serve around 55 million journeys per year.

Financing would be structured to minimise the impact on government finances.

To this end, the government will enter into discussions with European investment banks within European Union institutions to make use of financial and technical instruments for the best financing model, including long-term loans, development instruments, as well as the possibility of using the Malta Development Bank or European funds beyond traditional cohesion funds.

"The objective is clear: a major national project, but financially responsible. The cost of doing nothing would be far greater. The loss in productivity due to traffic, stress, wasted time, pollution, and economic inefficiency is already costing the country far more than we can afford to continue ignoring," the party said.

The first step will be taken within the first 100 days of a new government, with the launch of the implementation framework for planning, tendering, financing, and governance of the project.

The system will be integrated with fast ferries and other means of connectivity between Gozo and Malta so that people from Gozo arriving in Malta can continue their journey easily, quickly, and predictably.

Services will be free 

The manifesto says the service will be free for all Maltese and Gozitans, "ensuring that the alternative to the car is not only efficient but also accessible to everyone."

The Mass Rapid Transport System will operate together with feeder routes, mobility hubs, park-and-ride facilities, coaches, taxis, shuttle services, transport for workers and students, and other community services.

The PN said less dependence on cars would open up opportunities for more pedestrian areas, better public spaces, safer roads, and more liveable towns and villages. 

Priority lanes

The electoral manifesto says a PN government will create 'true' priority lanes on the most congested routes, using modern tidal priority lane management, intelligent traffic lights, and effective digital enforcement, so that buses and other forms of collective transport operate more regularly and reliably. 

A network of mobility hubs would be built near urban centres, schools, hospitals, and employment areas, featuring bus interchanges, lockers, bike parking, and space for shared services.

These hubs would act as connection points that transform mass transport into a complete national system, ensuring seamless journeys with better organisation of transfers between different modes.

There would also be hubs open to coaches and licensed local operators in areas such as the airport, park & ride facilities, and key interchange points

Frequent feeder services using smaller vehicles would link residential areas with main hubs and future mass transport stations.

"Not everyone lives near a main artery, so connectivity must begin from people’s doorsteps to ensure the new system is truly accessible to families, the elderly, students, and workers in every locality," the manifesto says.

There would also be a modern framework enabling licensed operators to provide group transport to factories, offices, schools, the elderly, business parks, hotels, and communities, in order to reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicles on the road and provide a practical alternative for organising daily travel.

A high-level digital platform would also be set up, allowing companies, hotels, business parks, industrial zones, and licensed operators to organise employee collective transport efficiently.

Fiscal incentives to reduce cars on the road

Tax credits would be introduced for companies that organise collective transport for their employees or enter agreements with licensed operators for organised group transport. Those who reduce the number of vehicles on the road, ease parking pressure, and lower congestion during peak hours should be rewarded, the manifesto says. 

There will be an extension of schemes so that post-secondary and tertiary institutions can organise collective transport for employees and students. "Public policy must make transport good enough so that young people do not begin to see a driving licence and a private car as the only realistic means of reaching places of education and work."

Every large school will have an approved school travel plan, with clear measures on transport use to and from school, student drop-off and pick-up, and coordination with the locality. Where congestion is critical, appropriate monitoring arrangements will be introduced so that the same schools do not continue to contribute to increased traffic at the same time every day.

In cases where schools are located in heavy congestion areas, the authorities would introduce more efficient, safer, and enforceable systems for student drop-off and pick-up, with clear times, spaces, and rules.

The manifesto says a PN government would reform worker permits and sector skills, significantly speeding up processes related to permits, job changes, and workforce administration in the collective transport sector, and establish a plan for skills and worker retention.

"Our country needs to rely more on collective transport and must therefore ensure that this sector can recruit, retain workers, and operate sustainably without delays that disrupt operations and increase pressure on roads," it says.

Hybrid–remote working in the Public Service

The PN also promises to introduce a new hybrid–remote working model in the Public Service based on a system of 40% working from home and 60% from the office.

This will apply to administrative roles, back-office functions, policy design and implementation, finance, HR, public procurement, the legal sector, ICT, and other roles that do not require direct and continuous contact with the public. It will not apply to frontliners and services that depend on physical presence.

"According to a prudent estimate based on the current size of the public service and the fact that the measure will be limited to activities that do not involve physical contact, this model has the potential to reduce around 2,600 cars per day from commuting during peak hours. This means less pressure on major congestion points, lower parking demand around government buildings, and better traffic flow during the most critical times of the day," the manifesto says.

Among other proposals, the manifesto also promises a clear framework for Y-Plate drivers and licensed operators to offer group transport to factories, schools, offices, care homes, and communities.

Talks would be held sector by sector to stagger working hours and public service hours. 

Public parking plan

The manifesto speaks of the implementation of a plan for public parking schemes.  Where new parking infrastructure is needed, it will only be developed if it is linked to a public square, garden, improved pavements, and the removal of on-street parking. Multi-storey parking would be considered when it does not compromise urban quality.

Owners of private street-level garages would be encouraged to offer parking at times of their choosing. "In this way, we will create hundreds of new spaces without taking up new land."

In high-pressure areas, the PN says it will prioritise residents by modernising the residential permit system, together with specific time windows for deliveries or services.

It will also extend a legal framework and incentives so that commercial deliveries, commercial waste collection, and urban maintenance are carried out as much as possible outside peak traffic hours.

Capped licence fees

"While we will encourage alternative transport use, increases in licence tariffs have not had the desired effect," the manifesto says.

"Therefore, a new Nationalist government will introduce a maximum cap of €500 for black-plate licences - used daily - and a maximum of €200 for red-plate licences - used on weekends.  

A PN government will also introduce special rules for cars with a maximum registration fee capped at €30,000.

Transferable scrappage vouchers

The PN says it will provide transferable vouchers for those who scrap their old vehicle, even if they do not purchase another one immediately. The voucher can be used later or sold legally.

It will also focus on scrappage schemes for older commercial vehicles, minibuses, and vans that are heavily used and more polluting. 

The PN says it will strengthen public entities, in coordination with Infrastructure & Road Risk-Asset Management, to create a register of risks and assets on the roads, together with a programme for planned maintenance.

"We cannot continue digging up the same road two or three times within a short period, to the detriment of residents, commuters, and public expenditure. We will create a risk atlas to protect the vulnerabilities of our country’s infrastructure. What we do not measure, we cannot protect," the manifesto says.  

Audit of pavements

The PN says it will build a continuous and protected network of cycling routes that connects one locality to another safely. Certain alternative rural roads will be adapted to become safe corridors for this purpose.

Secure and supervised bicycle parking will be provided at every transport hub, school, main town, and new public building. In these locations, a membership-based system will be explored to provide access and free bike lockers for peace of mind for those who choose to travel by bicycle

In agreement with local councils, a PN government would also create squares and streets that prioritise people, local businesses and services, and urban quality of life.

Every new or rebuilt road will include utility corridors and reserves for key services such as water, electricity, internet, cable TV, and drainage, so that in the future there will be no need to dig up the road surface for repairs. 

A railway and mobility skills academy

The manifesto says a PN government will establish a Railway and Mobility Skills Academy to bring together technical training, simulations, continuous professional development, and reskilling for workers who wish to enter this new sector.

Part of this programme will be aimed at electricians, technicians, ICT specialists, project managers, and safety experts to create new career pathways linked to the modern mobility economy.

"These proposals ensure that investment in the mass rapid transport system is not only an investment in concrete and tunnels, but also an investment in people. They will create a new niche of quality jobs, with advanced skills and better pay, and offer young people a new path towards careers in a modern and strategic sector for the country. At the same time, they will reduce total dependence on foreign expertise in the operation and maintenance of the system, and build long-term capacity for Malta to manage, expand, and upgrade its infrastructure with greater autonomy and professionalism," the manifesto says.