Editorial

Two recent items of news relating to the safety of roads raise a number of issues on how committed the regulators are on making transport safe for road users.

The first issue relates to the pollution caused by vehicles.

In August, the transport authority (ADT) announced that 11 buses tested for noxious emissions in the first week of restarting vehicle tests after an unannounced suspension were approved as they were found not to be causing dangerous emissions despite being reported by the public to be causing excessive pollution.

The public's disbelief at such a daring statement by the ADT was distilled in the comments made by a spokesman of the environmental organisation Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar. George Debono described the ADT announcement as "fishy". This could mean that vehicle owners were either tipped in advance about the impending tests and took action to fix their polluting vehicles or that the standards of the tests were "too lenient".

Whatever the reason, the ADT's credibility that was never high with the public received another knock. No wonder many people have stopped reporting polluting vehicles to the ADT.

The quality of the air we breathe is a major public health issue that needs to be addressed with determination. The high incidence of asthma in Malta is partly a consequence of the pollution caused by old and badly maintained vehicles. In an overpopulated island with a very intensive road network, polluting vehicles constitute a major health risk.

The ADT is discouraging the cooperation of the public by imposing unreasonable stumbling blocks, like insisting on a vehicle being reported three times before any action is considered. It is also alienating the pubic by issuing statements that many find simply incredible because their real life experience suggests that vehicle pollution is not only widespread but also tolerated by the regulating authority.

Involving the public in the protection of the environment is an effective tactic that should be extended to other areas. Environmental protection standards can be better enforced if one can rely on thousands of civic-minded citizens supporting the authorities.

But the public's involvement must not be a gimmick because it is not backed by a political will to tackle the underlying problems.

The other important issue relates to Malta's apparent unwillingness to participate in an EU in-car communications technology project aimed at improving road safety.

A European Commission spokesman included Malta in a list of six EU states that are reluctant to commit themselves to a project that would lead to the mandatory introduction of safety equipment to ease the impact of car accidents and improve emergency response.

The Infrastructure Ministry has denied this but failed to confirm the government's unequivocal commitment to participate in the scheme. This does not augur well for the realisation of major improvements in the effectiveness and safety of the transport system.

The overall transport reform strategy needs to be successful for the modernisation of the economy and for the improvement of the quality of life of most people. It is for these reasons that the ADT and the Infrastructure Ministry need to be more effective and credible in the way they plan and execute road safety strategies.