Malta should one day have free public transport for all, but first it needs the infrastructure to facilitate it, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Sunday. 

Addressing a Labour Party event outside the ONE studios in Marsa, Dr Muscat detailed his vision for the island's road network, which he said needed wider roads to handle an increase in public buses in the future. 

"At the moment there are barely enough bus lanes for the existing fleet of public buses."

Dr Muscat said the government's transport plan had already seen an unprecedented number of children being shuttled to and from school everyday for free.

Read: Many free school transport buses are already full

This he said was not only easing the burden on the current road network, but was also saving thousands of families hundreds of Euros in fuel prices. 

"And these savings are not even the main point of the reform, they are just a byproduct," he said, adding that this saving for families had come before next month's budget. 

"What we want is a culture shift, to public transport. Having school children use the school buses and having young people travel for free on the buses encourages this change," he said. 

Dr Muscat said that some 120 residential roads would get a make-over in the opening months of next year, as part of the government's €700 million pledge to re-do every road on the island.

"I receive photos and emails from residents all across the country, asking if we are going to do this road and that one. It's not a question of if, but when," he said.

On traffic congestion, Dr Muscat said that compared to previous years, the back- to-school rush had not resulted in terrible backlogs.  

This he said, was thanks in no small part, to the efforts of the Transport Ministry, the Parliamentary Secretariat for Local Councils, and the Home Affairs Ministry. 

"I am happy for them, but now it is important to keep it up. We can't rest on our laurels on this, he said.  

Law and order

Dr Muscat said the police would be stepping up efforts to enforce law and order in problem localities, to ensure residents felt safe in their own homes.

He said he had discussed citizens' concerns about safety with Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia and both had agreed on the importance to increase efforts even further.

Read: PM calls on police to step up presence at Marsa

His concern was not a racial one, Dr Muscat said, insisting that while residents in Marsa may be concerned about certain migrants, he faced similar concerns about safety from residents in the north about an influx of Eastern Europeans,   

"My concern is for that elderly woman who is afraid because there is someone asleep on the pavement by her door step – I am sure that person isn't concerned where that person comes from or the colour of their skin– but wants to feel safe when she wakes up to go out to mass in the morning," he said. 

In what was an obvious reference to the bail granted by a court last week to a teenager accused of a hit-and-run which critically injured a traffic policeman, Dr Muscat said that as prime minister he could not comment on certain matters or criticise the institutions, even if he may not agree with some of their decisions.

But he wanted police officers to know that the government was with them "shoulder to shoulder", and was grateful for the work they did.  

Migration

Dr Muscat also said that a group of 58 people and even a dog had arrived in Malta after they were rescued out at sea. 

They will then be distributed among four countries, with none staying in Malta.

"We could have closed our doors, we could have been hard-headed, we could have buried our hard heads in the sand – like other countries are doing. We could have been part of the problem and not the solution. But it is my intention for the island to be a part of the solution," he said.  

What was happening across Europe, he said, was not about migrants. He said that a chasm was opening – a choice between those who wanted to look forward, and those who want to close up.

"The responsibility I carry is to see how to save lives and meet our humanitarian responsibility, while not burdening our country – in fact we took on no burden. We met our responsibility, and then some. We also took a stand against NGOs to ensure international laws and practices are respected," he said. 

Bread prices

Of all the headlines this summer, Dr Muscat’s said the one that most caught his eye was the increase in bread prices.

The price of Maltese bread loaves shoot up by up to 24c this summer, as bakers decided to cover rising wage costs and wheat prices.

Dr Muscat said that while there were many issues that concerned politicians, he knew that it was something like this that would really affect many at home. 

The government, he said, could not interfere in the market, and knew that it was these costs that truly impacted household budgets.  

But the government was consistent in helping the people. An example was the recent tax refund that people received in the mail, something which would continue next year and the following.  

"And those who poked fun at a €60 cheque, just showed how removed they are from people's realities," he said.