Public transport: Time for real reform

The concept of the government providing services for the common good is slowly but surely disappearing. Take public transport, for example. What have we had in the last decade or two? Promises, some cosmetic changes, a few new buses thrown in for good measure and more promises.

In such a tiny country, it is a real shame that public transport systems are, to say the least, pathetic. Recently I spent some time working in Barcelona. I had the opportunity to use the transport system a lot and also had the occasion of meeting with representatives of ICV, the Catalonia Green Left Party, which forms part of the governing coalition in Barcelona City and also in the autonomous regional Catalonian government, the Generalitat.

We spoke among other things about the transport system in Barcelona. To my eyes, it is a functioning system, including buses, an underground train system, trams and taxis. The Greens are not happy. They want to do more and invest more money to provide an even better service.

In Malta there is no political will to take the bull by the horns and offer the people a viable transportation system. Even a simple thing such as an automatic ticketing system was a failure!

A good, efficient system offering a variety of options to commuters must be put in place and invested in. First people need to see and experience a system that really works before they start using it regularly. It is silly and short-sighted to expect people to use a failed system before deciding to do something about it!

Malta needs a truly national public transport service. Like any self-respecting city (Malta is after all a small city), public authorities must take responsibility for providing public transport. The advantages of an efficient system are countless.

Most European cities make use of buses running on natural gas, a much cleaner option than our diesel buses. An automatic bus ticketing system with reasonable prices for block tickets is a must. Maybe Malta Transport Authority officials should be sent to a couple of European cities to see how these things work.

Scheduled transport should be liberalised, allowing other companies to run transport services as they see fit. Monopolies, which more often than not bully spineless politicians into submission, are unacceptable.

European cities are full of taxis, that provide a service to those who need to get somewhere quick and to areas not easily reached by other public transport vehicles. Fares are higher, much higher than say a metro or bus ticket, but not as high as in Malta. The problem boils down to one reason: the licensing system for taxis.

The current monopoly seems to be another area where government does not dare tread. What happened to competition? This is also an issue of fair trade. Why can't Mr X get a licence from the transport authority? Why are the number of licences limited? Taxi licences should be liberalised with immediate effect. There is no good reason whatsoever to maintain the current unfair system.

A public transport system has been turned into a racket to the benefit of the very few who should thank their lucky stars that enough gullible tourists visit Malta to enable them to make a living by ripping them off!

There are other things that can be done. No one solution on its own is enough. Regular, frequent and efficient ferry services from Sliema to Valletta and Cottonera will reduce traffic pressure in the inner harbour area. Escalator systems have been used in some towns, such as Perugia, in Italy to carry people from the edge of town through underground passages to the centre of town.

Other systems, such as trams, should also be studied.

These ideas are not new. The dead and buried Valletta connections project had some very good proposals. Other people have written articles in The Times with proposals for real reform in public transport systems. But, there is no political will to tackle public transport.

The money problem is just another excuse. Somehow the government is happy giving handouts of Lm14 million for a useless and wasteful "ferry terminal" project in Cirkewwa for the roll-on roll-off Gozo ferry while neglecting the transportation needs of a whole island. Well, maybe what is really important is to pump more money again into the construction industry; some are more equal than others after all!

Mr Cassar is international secretary and executive committee member of Alternattiva Demokratika - The Green Party.

ralph.cassar@alternattiva.org.mt