Drastic action is needed to improve air quality after years of inaction, the ADPD political party said on Saturday.
The party observed that the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) and the Ministry for the Environment are currently preparing an air quality plan in accordance with the EU's Ambient Air Quality Directive.
The directive and the relevant Maltese regulations set limit values for a number of air pollutants, including particulate matter (PM10).
ADPD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said in a statement:”For years on end Maltese governments have avoided taking action where science shows it matters most. Science tells us that locations which experience high volumes of traffic suffer from poorer air quality. ERA’s own data shows that Msida exceeds the permissible limits of dangerous particles (PM10) in the air. Government’s own data also shows that the priority areas to tackle dangerous pollution from traffic are Pietà, and parts of Floriana, Msida, Marsa, Ħamrun, Qormi, Luqa and Paola. Residents and those who work in these localities are exposed to dangerous levels of pollution regularly.”
The party said the government, should consider a wide variety of options which are already tried and tested in other countries.
"If the plan is to reach is objectives, traffic should be drastically reduced from congested and polluted areas in Pietà, Floriana, Msida, Marsa, Ħamrun, Qormi, Luqa and Paola. This can be done by pedestrianisation, dedicated bus corridors, and a Bus Rapid Transit system, and even, eventually tram corridors," it said.
"Whole areas, such as the high streets in Floriana, Msida, Ħamrun, and Paola, could be redesigned to allow public transport vehicles and alternative means of personal mobility only through. The already weak Valletta vehicle access system, dismantled and rendered useless by visionless Labour, could be strengthened and introduced in congested and polluted localities.
"Low Emission Zones (LEZs) and Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZs) in which the most polluting vehicles are banned, could also be introduced – a measure already mentioned (and ignored by government) in the Transport Masterplan 2025. Additionally, proper and safe routes for bicycles, pedelecs and other zero emission personal transporters are sorely needed. These measures are doable, since as the Transport Masterplan 2025 itself states, journey length in the country is on average only 5.5km," the party added.