Private cars with even and odd number plates should only be allowed on alternate days to curb Malta's traffic problem, according to the Labour mayor of  Xagħra.

Christian Zammit admits that his suggestion is "drastic action" but says it is needed to reduce air pollution and force people to make use of free public transport.

The 'odd-even' car rationing scheme has been used in other cities dealing with alarming levels of pollution and traffic gridlock.

It usually works by rationing cars during rush hour so that odd-numbered plates are only allowed on odd dates and even plates on even dates.

Zammit said the measure would automatically make public transport more efficient as half the cars would be taken off the road every day.

"I wholeheartedly believe we should take drastic action and introduce an alternate number plate system on these very small islands," he suggested.

"Cars with license plates ending in odd numbers would be allowed on the roads on one day and cars with plates ending in even numbers would be allowed on the roads the day after."

Minibusses, public transport, emergency vehicles, taxis and electric cars would be exempt from the restriction.

"Most importantly, the measure should be complemented by a new fleet of minibusses over and above the current bus fleet, to extend the network and add frequency to timetables," he told Times of Malta on Wednesday.

Zammit has often been vocal about bad environmental planning and has previously not been shy to sway away from party lines to urge the government and the authorities to prioritise the environment over business interests.

He posted the idea to Facebook as a reaction to a Times of Malta story on Tuesday, reporting that there are over 18,000 vehicles for each square kilometre of road in Malta, according to NSO data.

Commuters have also reported how journeys that would typically take 15 minutes are taking up to 45-minutes to an hour during heavy traffic at rush hour.

'Worst solution ever'

Most people who commented on his post were opposed to the car rationing idea. 

"Don't be stupid," commented one. "It's the worst solution ever," said another.

Others said that while it sounds like a good idea, it may be difficult to implement, especially for families. Parents mostly complained it would be extremely hard to take their children to various places every day if they do not have access to a car. 

Other readers feared the measure would only punish middle-class and working-class people, because rich people would buy another car with an alternate number plate so that they are able to travel by car every day.

But several other people who commented observed how similar measures have worked in other countries, and have served to reduce traffic, road accidents and pollution drastically.

Variations of alternate number plate restrictions have been introduced in Paris and Lyon, in France, Delhi in India, Beijing in China, Jakarta in Indonesia and in several cities in Italy. In Athens, Greece, similar measures were first introduced in 1990.

his combination photograph shows an almost empty parking area (L) after the implementation of a second round of odd-even licence plate car restrictions, in New Delhi on April 20, 2016, and the same area full of cars taken on October 15, 2015. Photo: AFP

The measures have been lauded for reducing traffic and pollution but some studies also confirmed that more affluent motorists bought more cars to circumvent the system.

No disincentives planned

In an interview with Times of Malta in January, Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia ruled out any car use disincentive, at least for the time being.

He said government cannot make it harder for people to use their cars when public transport is still not reliable.

During that interview and during a Times of Malta business breakfast later in February, Farrugia said the government is more inclined towards adding bus lanes to make public transport more efficient and urge people to take the bus.