Road tolls ruled out

Road tolls will not be introduced if private contractors are handed over responsibility for roads under a new system proposed last Thursday.

During a meeting with honorary consuls, Transport Minister Austin Gatt said that the government was considering handing over the responsibility for the quality of the roads to the private sector. He did not give further details.

When contacted, a ministry spokesman explained that the government was considering a private-public partnership to manage road building, repair and maintenance. This was a typical arrangement in leading EU countries. Under the system, all works connected with roads in Malta would be contracted out to the private sector.

However, there would be no road tolls, a fee paid before taking motorways, the spokesman said.

The standards for the building and maintenance of the road would be set and monitored by the government against an annual set fee paid to a contractor who would bind himself to build, re-build, re-surface and maintain the road. The contractor would be responsible for the roads for a definite period to have high and uniform standards throughout the network.

Further details would be announced in the coming weeks, the spokesman said.