Roads and Transport Minister Jesmond Mugliett and his Labour counterpart Charles Buhagiar are both keen to drive forward better transport reform. Ariadne Massa hopes they do a better job than their driving test...
Jesmond Mugliett
What was your first car? How many driving lessons did you need to pass?
My first car was a Sunbeam Chrysler, which I had bought second-hand. I can't remember how many driving lessons I needed but I think they were substantial because I didn't pass the test the first time round.
Did you play in the streets as a boy? And do you feel that today's generation is missing out on this?
We played in the streets all the time when I was a boy, from football using opposing garage doors as goal posts, to marbles, and xixu. Today's generation is definitely missing out on this form of play and traditional games risk being forgotten.
When was the last time you changed a puncture after driving into a pothole?
Some months ago I was driving my wife's car and we got a puncture (not necessarily the result of a pothole). I was quite lost, because we had never changed a puncture on this car - it was new and the tools were kept in a peculiar place. Fortunately, someone stopped to help us.
When you go on holiday, do you travel in a taxi or do you use the public transport? Which is the most efficient public transport you've used?
I use all modes of transport when I go abroad. I use taxis, buses, trains or the metro. Sometimes, I also hire a car. I think the most efficient public transport I used is the London underground.
Did you ever get a ticket for speeding?
No, but once when I used to practice as an architect I had parked my car on a yellow line next to Mepa's offices. Unfortunately, my road licence had expired by two weeks, so I got a double ticket. I was summoned to court but I was moving house at the time so the summons never reached me. Somehow, some journalist got wind of it and the whole story made it to the papers - Opposition MP caught joyriding near Mepa!
The one frustrating thing about public transport is...
That quite a number of buses belch out smoke and we can't do anything about it until a bus replacement programme, which has to be part of a larger reform package, is approved and implemented. Occasional reports of drivers skiving trips annoys me just as much.
What can be done to reduce the number of cars on Malta's roads?
More efficient public transport extended to properly cover the night-time and seamlessly integrated with the ferries, the Valletta lifts system, and park-and-rides, are among the measures to achieve this.
Should Malta consider an underground transport system?
I do not believe that our economies of scale make underground transport systems sustainable, although tunnels could be a solution in certain cases.
The Maltese drive in the shade: Truth or myth?
I think there are countries with worse driving than Malta. Then, there are Maltese who try to make their small cars move like Ferraris.
When it rains most of Malta's roads become a slippery death trap. How do you plan to improve road safety?
Local aggregate is friable, that is in time it crushes with the traffic loading, reducing the surface irregularities and thereby the skid resistance. In the newly-built arterial roads we are using foreign aggregate with higher specification with regard to the polishing factor in the road wearing course (the uppermost layer of tarmac). This should provide the appropriate skid resistance. We are also installing the proper storm water systems in these roads so that they won't flood and the rainwater is channelled effectively.
Charles Buhagiar
What was your first car? How many driving lessons did you need to pass?
My first car was an Escort Mark I. I don't remember the number of lessons I needed to pass my driving test but I do remember I only passed the test on my second attempt.
Did you play in the streets as a boy? And do you feel that today's generation is missing out on this?
Yes I did. It's not the fact that today's children don't play in the streets which is sad but the fact that today's generation do not enjoy their childhood by interacting and playing with other children as much.
When was the last time you changed a puncture after driving into a pothole?
The last time I had a puncture it wasn't the potholes. I drove into a stone slab, which had been left in the middle of the road by workers who were supposedly repairing a roundabout. This incident happened same months ago at Żebbuġ. Unfortunately, the street in question, Mdina Road, was not well lit because roadworks were still in progress. I cannot understand why roads aren't properly lit while roadworks are ongoing and the danger posed to vehicles is much bigger.
When you go on holiday, do you travel in a taxi or do you use the public transport? Which is the most efficient public transport you've used?
Since I go on holiday with my family, we tend to use both the public transport as well as taxis. In some cities, taxis are relatively cheap, such as the London cabs. The most efficient forms of public transport are the underground and elevated trains while in the case of Venice the marine-based public transport (ferries).
Did you ever get a ticket for speeding?
Yes I have. I got a ticket for speeding along Mdina Road, Żebbuġ, but I was actually at home at the time I was supposedly caught. I didn't bother to contest it.
The one frustrating thing about public transport is...
I have not used public transport in Malta for some time but my friends tell me that the most frustrating thing is that the service is not always reliable. For example, in Attard the bus is supposed to leave at a certain time but the timetable is sporadic. We need innovative ideas for our public transport, such as marine-based public transport for our harbour areas and more circular routes, not based solely at the Valletta terminus.
Should Malta consider an underground transport system?
Malta could consider an underground transport system but one has to ensure the financial feasibility of such a project.
The Maltese drive in the shade: Truth or myth?
Driving standards in Malta have improved considerably over the past years, mostly due to better road markings and signage. However, you still get the odd driver chugging away slowly on the outer lane, frustrating all the other drivers behind him.
When it rains most of Malta's roads become a slippery death trap. How do you plan to improve road safety?
The skid resistance of a road depends to a large extent on the quality of the materials used and the finishing of the surface. These are technical problems which are relatively easy to solve. The more complex problem is ensuring adequate drainage of rainwater from our roads to avoid flooding. With regard to road safety, this does not only depend on the quality and design of the road but also on driving standards.