Traffic overtakes cost of living to become people's biggest concern

Traffic, parking and public transport-related issues are now Malta’s biggest headache, and by a large margin.

New poll data published by Times of Malta suggests frustration with traffic-related issues has reached new heights, with people citing them as both the country’s biggest problem as well as the biggest hassle in their own personal lives.

Irritation cuts across genders, age groups, localities and political affiliations, with Labour-leaning voters especially concerned about traffic-related issues. Only people living in Gozo identified a bigger national problem, citing concerns about excessive construction and poor planning.

While people have for years flagged traffic-related concerns as a major headache, other issues, primarily the cost of living, have previously loomed larger in their minds.

That has now changed, data provided by pollsters Esprimi indicates.

A representative sample of 600 people was interviewed between September 29 and October 9. Among other questions, they were asked what their biggest individual problem was, and what they believe is the country’s biggest problem.

In February, just over 28 per cent said traffic-related issues were Malta’s biggest problem. Now, more than 42 per cent do.

People are also being more directly impacted by traffic, the data suggests. In February, just over 15 per cent named it as the biggest problem in their own life. Now, more than 21 per cent single out traffic-related issues.

The surge in complaints could be correlated to the timing of the poll: traffic congestion increased at the turn of the month as schools reopened for a new scholastic year, and on October 7 commuters experienced near-gridlock across the island.

Authorities acknowledge traffic is a major issue and earlier this week the leaders of Malta’s two largest political parties, Robert Abela and Alex Borg, pledged bipartisan cooperation to plan and develop a mass transport system for Malta.

But meanwhile, local roads continue to groan under the strain of more and more cars. There were more than 450,000 licensed vehicles by the end of June and National Statistics Office data shows that the country is adding an average of 37 more every day. 

Transport Minister Chris Bonett has said his ministry is undertaking an 18-month plan to ease traffic on local roads. The plan, unveiled last March, proposes to shift delivery services to off-peak hours, introduce more park-and-ride facilities and carpooling incentives and grants to swap cars for motorbikes.

But the plan’s headline initiative – a €25,000 cash grant to drivers who give up their driving licence for five years – has yet to be introduced, months after its original June target date.

Immigration and affordability concerns

Traffic is not the only challenge the government faces in keeping citizens happy.

Young voters aged between 16 and 24 are even more concerned about spiralling rent prices, for instance – a concern which also plays on the minds of respondents who are single.

And all age groups ranked cost of living concerns among their biggest individual problems.

Labour and Nationalist voters are aligned when it comes to worries about excessive construction, ranking it among the country's biggest issues and also a significant concern for themselves as individuals. 

And while irregular migration numbers are at record lows, many still cited 'asylum seekers' as the country's biggest problem. When coupled with mentions of 'illegal immigration', the issue ranks among the top concerns for people both on a national and individual level, cutting across party lines. 

Concerns about corruption, which in previous years were regularly cited as a major national issue, appear to have waned and people are now more likely to cite the environment as a major issue 

Senior citizens, on the other hand, appear to be the most satisfied citizens of all: 22.1 per cent were unable to name a single biggest problem impacting their life at the moment.