A whopping 55 cars were added to our streets every day in the first quarter of this year, according to official statistics. The stock of licensed motor vehicles rose to 404,303 – that’s an increase of 29,262 cars in just three years. And all this in an island measuring 316 square kilometres. No wonder we’re being driven round the bend!
The Maltese have been historically wedded to their cars, with almost all families owning at least one vehicle.
Sadly, several attempts to push residents to use alternative means of transport have largely failed, with public buses, ferries and taxis predominantly used by foreigners.
It is pointless blaming everyone for the traffic chaos when we are sitting in our own vehicle contributing to the same problem. It is totally short-sighted to persist with the strategy of turning the entire island into a bypass to cater for the demand. It is time for all of us to take a good look at the traffic situation in Malta and acknowledge that we are driving ourselves towards saturation point. Congestion is not going to go away, even if we eat up every single field to widen our roads.
That congestion carries a staggering societal cost – the environment, public health and productivity.
This is why each one of us needs to seriously rethink our means of getting from A to B. That will only happen if we break down traditional transportation barriers and are convinced that alternative means of transportation have become more reliable and more cost-effective.
While there has been a remarkable improvement in public transport, there is still room for much improvement, especially with better timetables and more frequent trips. It is encouraging to see more youngsters, especially, opt for car-sharing and car-pooling, while the liberalisation of the taxi service has made it affordable. The sea transport service between the Three Cities to Valletta to Sliema is very efficient and we can only hope the fast-ferry system to Gozo inspires further expansion of sea travel – preferably without sacrificing swimming zones or the environment
It is not enough to urge people to use bicycle lanes and e-scooters when motorists keep treating cyclists with disdain, potentially risking their lives. Is it so difficult to designate certain streets as priority passages for bicycles, electric scooters and similar vehicles?
Buying cleaner cars, like electric and hybrid models, is laudable to help the environment, but we need to start thinking outside the box and find means to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads.
Many cities across the world have successfully slashed traffic from their centres by imposing congestion fees or increasing the cost of driving licences.
The issue of taxing car use further is contentious but it is a consideration worth making if we are to be forced to make the mental leap. However, it is unlikely that any government would take such an unpopular measure.
Meanwhile, our cars choke every corner of Malta, emitting noxious fumes which are harming our health and upping our stress levels. While the current road-widening and road-building strategies will help the flow of traffic, they will only incentivise the use of more cars on the road. And with studies showing that the Maltese remain averse to walking, that is something to be worried about.
The pandemic forced many of us to change our way of lives and showed us what our towns and villages can be like with less traffic, noise, congestion and pollution.
It is too late to reclaim the land sacrificed for cars, but we are short-sighted to be stumbling back into car dependency now that the worst of the pandemic is behind us.
It will be a long and winding road but something’s got to give.