L-agrikoltura, l-ispazji miftuħa u l-klima vittmi ta’ nuqqas ta’ perspettiva fit-tul fit-trasport
Filwaqt li nieħdu pjaċir nisimgħu l-kelliema tal-Gvern jgħidu li jridu politika ambjentali sura, meta nfittxu insibu ftit li xejn.
Dan hu l-iktar rifless fil-politika dwar it-trasport li hi nieqsa minn perspettiva fit-tul dwar l-ambjent, u li tħares b’mod artifiċjali lejn l-impatti fuq il-klima.
Waqt konferenza tal-aħbarijiet f’Ħ’Attard, is-Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Dr Ralph Cassar qal:“Il-Gvern għandu l-pariri bil-miktub, f’dokumenti li huma pubbliċi. Il-Masterplan u l-Istrateġija dwar it-trasport jelenkaw sensiela ta’ miżuri li l-gvern stess, minkejja li suppost addotta r-rapport, qed jinjora kompletament. Dan mhux mod serju kif jitmexxew l-affarijiet. Il-ftaħir tal-gvern li se jonfoq aktar fuq l-ambjent fil-budget huwa bżar fl-għajnejn, għax tant saret ħsara tul l-għoxrin sena li għaddew li l-infieq se jmur biex iraqqa’ l-pannu bil-qargħa aħmar. Il-gvern fl-istess nifs li jgħid li se jipproteġi lill-bdiewa jeħdilhom l-art. Fl-istess nifs li jgħid li jrid aktar spazji miftuħa fl-ibliet u fl-irħula jirrifjuta li jreġġa lura l-isfreġju taż-żoni tal-ippjanar tal-2006, anzi jżid ir-ritmu ta’ żvilupp selvaġġ u bla rażan, ikluż viċin ta’ hawn fil-limiti ta’ Ħ’Attard. Żvilupp sostenibbli tfisser li nagħmlu ħilitna biex lill-ġenerazzjonijiet ta’ warajna nħallulhom inqas piżijiet ambjentali mill-ħallewlna dawk li ġew qabilna u dan jgħodd għal kull qasam.”
“Il-politika dwar it-trasport tinjora l-vantaġġ li joħroġ miċ-ċokon ta’pajjiżna: li kważi kullimkien hu tefa’ ta’ ġebla ‘l-bogħod. L-Istrateġija dwar it-Trasport 2050 temfasizza dan il-punt billi jgħid li d-distanza medja tal-vjaġġi bil-karozzi privati waqt il-vjaġġi ta’ filgħodu (‘morning peak’ – p.72, National Transport Strategy 2050), hija ta’ 5.5 kilometri. Dan ifissser li hemm bzonn titjieb l-infrastruttura lokali u reġjonali biex ikun iffaċilitat il-moviment sostenibbli fuq livell lokali u reġjonali. Dan waħdu jnaqqas ħafna karozzi mit-toroq, inizjalment temporanjament imma fuq perjodu ta’ żmien b’mod permanenti. Dan ifisser li toroq aktar adattati għal vjaġġi bir-roti, pedelecs u electric scooters fuq distanza hekk qasira inaqqsu l-konġestjoni u t-tniġġis.”
“Huwa tajjeb ukoll li fl-aħħar bdejna bħala pajjiż niddiskutu l-impatti tal-introduzzjoni tal-karozzi elettriċi. Dan waħdu imma mhux ser isolvi wisq. Għax jeħtieġ li jonqsu n-numru ta’ karozzi mit-toroq. Il-pajjiż ma jiflaħx għall-piż tal-elettriku meħtieġ meta l-karozzi kollha jaqilbu bl-elettriku. Anke hawn neħtieġu ppjanar fit-tul, mhux biss dwar charging points imma ukoll dwar id-dipendenza akuta tal-pajjiż fuq l-elettriku mwassal minn Sqallija permezz tat-tieni interconnector.”
“Diġa huwa ovvju li s-Central Link qed tiġbed aktar u aktar traffiku u karozzi lejn Ħ’Attard. Diġa huwa ovvju li fit-toroq dojoq fil-qalba ta’ Ħ’Attard ma nbidel xejn. Diġa huwa ovvju li kull ma sar huwa li nħolqot koġestjoni fit-traffiku fi bnadi ftit mijiet ta’ metri ‘l-bogħod”, qal iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party, Carmel Cacopardo.
“Il-konġestjoni tat-traffiku mhux ser insibu tarf tagħha billi nwessgħu t-toroq jew permezz ta’ proġetti massiċċi fl-infrastruttura tat-toroq. Nistgħu naslu jekk nindirizzaw dak li qed jikkawża l-konġestjoni, jiġifieri n-numru ta’ karozzi fit-toroq tagħna. Huwa issa ovvju aktar minn qatt qabel li l-implimentazzjoni ta’ politika dwar it-trasport ma tħarisx fit-tul. Politika li tinjora dak li qed jikkawża l-konġestjoni tat-traffiku u tiffoka esklussivament fuq l-effetti. Jekk nibqgħu nevitaw dak li qed jikkawża l-konġestjoni tat-traffiku u minflok nibqgħu ffukati fuq l-effetti, is-soluzzjonijiet li jidhru li jkunu nstabu se jkunu ta’ natura temporanja.”
“Filwaqt li il-gvern ħa numru ta’ passi pożittivi f’dan ir-rigward billi offra diversi inċentivi intenzjonati biex iħajru persuni ġejjin minn setturi differenti biex jagħmlu użu minn mezzi alternattivi ta’ mobilità. Inizjattivi li jikkonċernaw kemm alternattivi ta’ transport fuq l-art kif ukoll fuq il-baħar. Għalkemm qisha ntesiet il-proposta li t-trasport pubbliku jkun b’xejn għal kulħadd. Hemm bżonn ħafna aktar. Fosthom bus priority corridors fit-toroq u sistema ta’ Bus Rapid Transit, flimkien ma ppjanar fit-tul għal trasport tal-massa bħal light rail, li biex jintuża jrid ikun imżewweġ ma’ pjan biex jonqsu l-karozzi mit-toroq u pedestrijanizazzjoni massiva. Hemm bżonn konnessjonijiet sikuri tul rotot prinċipali għar-roti, roti elettriċi u scooters. Hemm bżonn immedjat konnessjonijiet sikuri għar-roti, scooters u roti elettriċi mal-akbar istituzzjonijiet post-sekondarji, mill-MCAST u l-Higher Secondary, sal-Università. Hemm bżonn li l-ħinijiet tax-xogħol ikunu aktar flessibbli, skont it-tip ta’ xogħol u fejn jagħmel sens, b’taħlita ta’ ġranet ta’ xogħol mid-dar u mil-lant tax-xogħol. Hemm bżonn ukoll li l-pjanijiet lokali jiġu reveduti biex ma jibqax jiżdied it-traffiku kkawżat mill-iżvilupp selvaġġ li ħakem lil Malta u lil Għawdex.”
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Agriculture, open spaces and climate: victims of the lack of a long term view
While we are pleasantly surprised whenever we hear government spokespersons emphasising their commitment to an holistic environmental view, unfortunately there is nothing to indicate that this is anything more than hot air. This is more than evident in transport policy which ignores a long term environmental perspective and considers climate impacts very superficially.
During a press conference in Ħ’Attard the Secretary General of ADPD – The Green Party Dr Ralph Cassar said:“Government has written advice, in documents which have been published about transport. The Transport Masterplan lists the remedial action necessary: this is constantly being ignored. Government declarations emphasising that there will be increased environmental spending in the forthcoming budget is a lot of hot air. So much environmental damage has been inflicted over the last 20 years that increased spending will probably be a drop in the ocean and will not lead to real and deep change. While government proclaims the need to protect farming, government is gobbling up good agricultural land at a fast rate. It emphasises the need for more open spaces yet it is stubborn in its refusal to reverse the negative impacts of the 2006 local plans and development boundaries. Moreover, it is continuously increasing the pace of development. Sustainable development should mean that we bequeath future generations a better world, with reduced environmental impacts, even in issues of transport.”
“Transport policy as practised in Malta ignores the advantages resulting from the country’s size: the fact that everywhere is practically close by. The Transport Strategy 2050 clearly emphasises this when it states that the average distances travelled by private cars during morning peak hours (p.72, National Transport Strategy 2050), is 5.5 kilometers. This points towards the need to improve local and regional infrastructure to facilitate sustainable mobility at a local and regional level. If this were to be addressed, then the use of cars for certain commutes would decrease, initially on a temporary basis but eventually permanently. This would mean making our roads more suitable and safe for use by bicycles, pedelecs and electric scooters on such short distances, reducing congestion and pollution.”
“It is good that we have a public debate on the introduction of electric cars. However, on its own this measure will not solve much. It is essential that the number of cars on our roads is reduced. The country cannot cope with the demands for electricity when the electrification of our private transport is completely addressed. Long term planning is called for even here, not just on the number and location of charging points but more so on the energy dependency being created through the second Malta-Sicily electricity interconnector.”
“It is already obvious that the Central Link project is attracting more traffic towards Attard. Nothing has changed in the narrow winding roads of Attard’s core and in residential areas. All that has happened so far is that the traffic congestion has been shifted from one zone to another,” added ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson, Carmel Cacopardo.
“Traffic congestion will not go away as a result of massive road infrastructural works. The congestion is the effect of excessive number of cars on our roads. This is the real problem which must be addressed, but has been unfortunately avoided. Tackling the effects and ignoring the cause will just result in temporary solutions shifting the problem to the future, when it will be considerably worse.”
“We recognise that government has taken a number of positive steps through a number of incentives aimed at encouraging persons from different walks of life to make use of alternative means of mobility: both on land as well as though maritime means. The proposal on free public transport is apparently on the back burner now. Much more is however required. Bus priority corridors in our roads coupled with a Bus Rapid Transit system are essential. Long term planning for the introduction of a mass transport light rail would be suitable tools to reduce cars from our roads as well as introducing pedestrianisation on a large scale. We need suitable links along our main roads facilitating the use of bicycles, scooters and electric bicycles close to post-secondary educational institutions: MCAST, Higher Secondary and University. More flexible working hours, and a mix of telework and office work would also contribute substantially to addressing traffic congestion. The contribution of the massive development resulting from the local plans towards more traffic also needs to be addressed. A revision of these plans and a reversal of the development boundaries to the 2006 ones is of paramount importance. Just paying lip service to sustainability is not on.”
