Elevated bicycle canopies, bus-only lanes, AI-controlled fast-moving cars, paid parking – and even showers at work – could help “cure” Malta’s traffic congestion, according to experts.
They believe that simply building more new roads will not solve the problem of traffic congestion.
Over the past few years, the government has invested heavily in the road infrastructure, with the construction of arterial roads such as the Central Link, the Kappara and the Marsa junctions intended to cut down on travelling time.
Yet, heavy traffic continues to be a plague on the island resulting in delays and frustration.
Engineer Louis Borg believes that an approach focused simply on making roads more efficient backfires because it encourages more people to use cars. This is compounded by a public transport system perceived as inefficient.
“The traffic problem in Malta will not be solved any time soon. At the heart of the problem is the fact that human beings seek comfort. People want cars. They want efficiency, because time is precious.
“It all boils down to efficiency. When a road is more efficient, more people will use it. So a good road encourages more people to use their cars. It backfires.”
So long as buses face the same road problems, he added, people will not opt for them, even if free.
Sharing his thoughts on how transport efficiency could be achieved, he was clear: “This won’t happen anytime soon.
“We won’t see changes in five years but hopefully in about 40 years with new technologies and infrastructure.”
As for bicycle use, he believes elevated cycle lanes, above road level, would work better.
Green thinking
His ideas were echoed in the concepts presented by designer-architect Jonathan Mizzi, who put forward his infrastructural proposals for an eco-driven plan for Malta during a TEDx presentation.
Mizzi’s proposals include elevated cyclist canopy lines that would offer cyclists and e-scooters a “safe and swift passageway on arterial roads”.
The platform would be designed with inbuilt solar technology to harvest clean energy, all the while creating an environment that nurtures biodiversity.
Public transport efficiency could be increased by having a rapid lane used solely by buses.
As opposed to the current interrupted bus lanes, these would be continuous, making buses more efficient and encouraging their use.
“For every bus, 40 cars would be removed from Malta’s roads,” he said.
That would in turn mean some car parks could be turned into green areas.
Encouraging cycling
Michelle Attard Tonna, president of NGO Rota, underlined the need to make cycling safer.
“The majority of people in Malta are hesitant to cycle not because they are lazy, but because they are afraid to do so,” she said.
She added that pavements also needed to be made safer to encourage people to walk more.
Attard Tonna spoke about improving signage as “we are so used to travelling by car that most of us do not know how to calculate distances, and how to use safer routes when walking or cycling”.
Improving public transport and introducing paid parking in public spaces would also help.
“We still have the mentality that it is our divine right to park a car in the street. That car is using up precious space which could otherwise be allocated for people to walk and cycle instead,” she said.
She has other suggestions. Employers could encourage car-pooling for employees leaving from the same zones.
Shuttle services could be organised for people leaving and reaching the same destinations. People could be allowed to work remotely.
Grants could be provided for microbility: walking and the use of e-scooters or bicycles.
Showers could be provided at places of work. And employees leaving their car at home could be awarded free coffees, vouchers or other rewards in a concerted drive to cut down on traffic.