A park-and-ride facility linked to the Marsa junction project was launched on Thursday, with Transport Minister Ian Borg urging commuters to embrace intermodality to tackle congestion problems.

The facility, located close to the Labour Party’s media arm One Productions, comprises of 380 parking spaces with access to a pedestrian bridge, cycle lane and bus stops. 

Photo: Jonathan Borg

The minister said the area catered for 70 bus routes, making 60 voyages in both directions every hour. It presently carries some 1,300 commuters every hour through the junction.

“We were obliged by the European Commission to have at least 200 parking spaces to accommodate for park and ride commuters, but we opted to almost double the number to ensure that parking spaces taken up by people who park and remain in the area are not obstructing commuters who opt for intermodality,” Borg said.

“We know that the shift away from the private vehicle is a gradual change, but with the infrastructure in place we encourage people to start using it,” the minister said, adding that bus routes serves commuters to a wide array of locations, including Valletta, Paola, the University of Malta and Mater Dei hospital.

Photo: Jonathan Borg

Earlier in May, MEP candidate Peter Agius drew attention that the park-and-ride facility had not been incorporated into the Marsa junction project and that its omission could have an impact on Malta’s future applications for EU funding.

Infrastructure Malta rebuked the accusation that conditions for funding had not been met, saying it had been obliged to provide infrastructure and not a shuttle service, as is in operation at the Valletta Park and Ride.

Operational costs for such a system would not have been covered by the funding streams that supported the project, the agency said.