Malta to take part in road haulage licensing system next year

Malta has been allowed to take part in the road haulage licensing system for 2003, meaning Maltese truck drivers will be able to drive across Europe without any difficulties next year.

Transport Minister Censu Galea said that during a meeting in Sarajevo last week, a request was made for the extension of the multi-lateral quota for road haulage operation to Malta and it was unanimously accepted by the European Council for Ministers of Transport member countries.

The exact quota would be established at another meeting in October.

Maltese truck drivers had faced problems and were not allowed to carry out intra-community trips because Malta was not a member of the EU.

However, once it joined the ECMT in May, Maltese haulers were able to travel freely across Europe because operating costs were reduced and empty legs and fines eliminated.

Speaking at the ECMT Workshop yesterday, Mr Galea said he intended to introduce more sustainable policies into the planning and operation of the domestic transport system and to make the roads safer.

Some of the recent policies - including the replacement of zebra crossings with pelican crossings, the narrowing of dangerously wide single-lane carriageways, the introduction of more rigorous driver testing, the driving licence penalty point system, parking control and the upgrade of the Vehicle Roadworthiness Test - had all met with criticism, particularly from drivers, he said.

Since it joined the ECMT, Malta is committed to a number of resolutions and recommendations concerning land transport.

Mr Galea said that Transport Ministry and Malta Transport Authority representatives had already taken part in ECMT working groups on road safety and road transport.

"It is clear and reassuring that we are not alone in experiencing some of the road transport problems that we are currently encountering and we have already benefited from exchanging ideas and best practices through the thematic networks of experts and counterparts from other ECMT member countries."

Malta has one of the highest motor vehicle ownership levels in Europe, but tackling the problems by building roads, flyovers and tunnels was not an approach that could be sustained in the long run.

Malta Transport Authority CEO Mario Falzon, while stressing the importance of training, said that a number of taxi drivers would be attending a three-week study visit to the UK, organised by the MTA and the Malta Tourism Authority, at the end of the month.

He said the authority wanted buses to be cleaner, more comfortable and more reliable so that they would offer a good alternative to cars, with access for persons with disability and children.