Superficial treatment of transport ills

The government's approach to the problems associated with increasing car use are what some environmentalists would call "end of the pipe measures". This is because they do not address the roots of the problem but simply tackle the results created by the problem itself. One can compare the situation to a doctor prescribing increasing amounts of pain killers to a patient who really needs surgery.

A case in point is the plan to keep traffic away from Valletta by displacing it to Blata l- Bajda. While we will have to wait and see whether the plan reaches its aim, even that aim is in reality a stop gap measure because it will just displace the parking problem from Valletta to another location.

Moreover, what the minister does not seem to be aware of is the fact that motionless vehicles parked in Valletta for eight hours do not emit pollutants but the proposed system whereby parking is freed for people to "come and go" as they please will create a situation of constant emissions throughout most of the day. This to the detriment of the residents of Valletta and the people working there, who will be exposed to more toxic fumes than at present. And all this apart from the damage done to the façades of the buildings by the accumulation of dark particulate matter from the exhaust of the increased number of cars.

Therefore all the clamour about this grand parking scheme is in reality just a lot of hot air because the only group whom it was designed to benefit is the Valletta business community (On the other hand a recent survey commissioned by The Sunday Times clearly shows that this scheme will not attract more shoppers to Valletta as most people see the idea of parking in one place and then taking a bus to another as something inconvenient.) Any imagined gain by the Valletta business community will be to the detriment of residents, many of who can be said to be living in a socially depressed area, some in sub standard housing. One must also remember that the gain of one business community is the loss of another; therefore any gain by Valletta businesses will be a loss to businesses in other areas.

After all we are living in a small island and if I don't buy my needs from one shop I'll have to buy them from another.

Coming back to the damage that will be caused by vehicular air pollution, it would be pertinent to speak of the damage cost which is often estimated using the so-called "hedonic price approach". This calculates the loss in value of properties exposed to traffic nuisance.

A simple survey that can be carried out by anyone will show that the prices for similar dwellings vary considerably according to location in terms of traffic. A town house in a busy Cottonera street will cost some 50 per cent less then a similar house in a much quieter area in a village such as Zurrieq. This points to the fact that the scheme to have more "turnover" and therefore more traffic in Valletta will adversely affect house pricing, again to the detriment of the residents.

An Earthscan publication, Transport Policy And The Environment, defines the "total social cost" of transport as the totality of transport-related cost and expenditure. The following figures are quoted, as a percentage of the GDP.

This impressively high figure underlines the importance of a consistent policy when it comes to transport and certainly not the sporadic and half hearted attempts that we have been seeing.

What is particularly annoying are the attempts by the government to portray itself as doing something out of the ordinary when all that it is doing, and badly at that, is its duty. Another case in point is the upgrade of roads funded from the fifth Italian protocol, which have nothing to do with our entry in the EU. It is being made to look as if the government is doing you and I a favour by building decent roads, when this is what should have happened ages ago!

A similar situation which would be laughable if it were not tragic is the rush to "beautify" the roads through which the Commonwealth delegations will pass. This reminds one of the attempts by communist regimes to quickly put up show homes for visiting foreigners while most of the population lived in poverty.

More importantly, a lot of money is being wasted especially on stretches of road which had been repaired only some time ago. All the funds for these cosmetic touch-ups are being siphoned off from projects which are much more important, such as social housing.

Dr Buontempo MP is the Labour Party spokesman for housing.