Car free days among proposals in new air quality plan
The organisation of car free days is among recommendations made in an Air Quality Plan published today by the Infrastructure Ministry - even though Malta did not take part in the recent EU car free day.
The plan, which is open for public consultation, lists a range of short and medium term measures which can be taken to reduce harmful emissions on Malta's roads.
The proposal on car free days says car free days could be made more effective by combining them with festivities. This could include encouraging local councils to organise local activities combined with car free days.
Other proposed short-term measures include:
Enforcement of regulations on vehicle exhaust from polluting trucks, cars and buses;
Enforcement of the quality of fuel used in cars, trucks and buses;
An educational campaign on better driving practices and car maintenance;
Promotion of car pooling and ride-sharing schemes;
Restricting the circulation of public transport vehicles to Euro 3 buses where pollution thresholds are being exceeded;
The introduction of traffic direction variable lanes on roads which can take that concept;
Certification exercise for all VRT stations and spot checks;
Improvements of other forms of transport including connections via ferries, electric city cabs, cleaner taxis;
Better timing of refuse collection and road works to avoid traffic congestion;
Fiscal incentives for the acquisition of cleaner technology vehicles;
Modification of government vehicles to use cleaner fuels;
Promotion of tele-working;
Adjusting school times to reduce congestion.
MEDIUM TERM MEASURES
The proposed medium term measures include the public transport reform, an extension of the CVA system to Floriana, the provision of more park and ride schemes, such as in Sliema, Hamrun, St Julian's and Qormi, roadside emissions testing of polluting vehicles, replacement of old government cars and the declaration of low emission zones, thus banning polluting vehicles from such areas.
The document also proposes a feasibility study on the reintroduction of a tram service.
LOCALITIES EXCEED POLLUTION THRESHOLDS
The report lists localities which have exceeded the benzene annual limit value between 2004 and 2008. Last year, the limit was only exceeded in St Anne Street, Floriana and Valley Road, Birkirkara.
However a number of localities exceeded nitrogen dioxide annual limit values last year. These were : St Anne Street, Floriana; St Joseph High Rd and Old Railway Road, Hamrun; Aldo Moro Street, Marsa; Cospicua Street and Triq il-Polverista, Cospicua; Zabbar Road and Vjal Cottoner, Fgura; Hompesch Road, Zabbar, St Anthony Street, Marsascala; Gudja Bypass, Valley Road and Psaila Street Birkirkara;
Manuel Dimech Street, Qormi; Eucharistic Congress Rd and Independence Avenue, Mosta;, Manuel Dimech Street and Rue D'Argens, Sliema; Spinola Seafront; Mensija Rd, San Gwann; Sliema Rd, Gzira and Nikola Sawra Street, Rabat.
The report and proposals can be seen at www.mitc.gov.mt
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C Galea
Sep 29th 2009, 05:47
Prior to the renewal of any car registartion;
The govt. should make it a legal requirment to provide a yearly fully comprehensive and thorough inspection which MUST be carried out ONLY by certified outlets, this should get rid of a lot of smog/car fumes and it may even create futher jobs.
Ray Agius
Sep 28th 2009, 23:18
Organisation of car free days ???? Meta imbaghad hemm l-International car free day DARBA FIS-SENA U IL-GVERN MALTI JINJORAHA ???
@ Brownie: Political will from the opposition ???? So whatever the government fails to keep up to promises its because of the opposition ? Are you implying that it was Joseph Muscat THAT INSTRUCTED ADT TO IGNORE THE SMS EXHAUST ALERT ???
Carmel Vella
Sep 28th 2009, 22:21
Make it illegal for delivery trucks to leave the engine running while doing their deliveries infront of the shops etc,,with the driver even stopping for a chit-chat.
R Bartolo
Sep 28th 2009, 21:38
Please don't waste our time, and massively inconvenience us with pointless token measures like "car free days".
Anyone who does not want to use his car is free to not use it, funnily enough few people actually leave theirs at home.
Public transport does not work well locally and never will, the quicker we accept this the better. Public transport is only used by those who have no option. Compare this to large cities abroad, and also larger countries.
Malta is NOT as dense as a city, and neither does it have great distances, Malta is best compared to a suburb. All over the world, in the suburbs personal transportation is king, public transport plays only a minor role. Where density is not high, service is infrequent. Where distances are not great, the "connect time" i.e. getting to a pick up point (bus stop, train station) and waiting for the service, is disproportionate in comparison to the travel time.
In short, by the time I would have walked to a bus stop and waited for a bus, I could be half way or more en route to my destination, or even arrived, with personal transport.
Joanne Micallef
Sep 28th 2009, 20:39
What a joke. A BUS free day would be more efficient in reducing harmful emissions.
Nigel Lawrence
Sep 28th 2009, 20:19
Heard ALL of this before- over and over again. Cut out the talking and start the walking!
Emmanuel Zammit
Sep 28th 2009, 19:30
Why not have heavy vehicles, except public transport and emergency ones, off the road during peak times? There certainly would be much better flow of traffic resulting in less pollution.
Jason Attard
Sep 28th 2009, 19:15
The license plate number were removed from the picture. Any particular reason?
ray pace
Sep 28th 2009, 18:43
Why not reduce taxes and charges to get new cars in line with prices found at least in nearby Italy - just see the adverts and you start shivering when comparing to same model prices here in Malta.
Anthony Debono
Sep 28th 2009, 18:41
I read with interest the report and the only nagging things I fail to understand are:
a) Why are we waiting to implement a substantial number of proposals when these ought to have been carried out long time ago and on a continuous basis (e.g. enforcement of polluting trucks, buses, etc.)??
b) Why did we buy new Euro-3 buses when on the market Euro-4 were already out in the market? Today, there are Euro-5 buses (http://www.sydneybuses.info/corporate/bus-fleet/volvo-b12ble---euro-5.htm).
c) Why introduce trams? Because they are electricity-driven? Do we have the space where to place their tracks? Invest in electric vehicles.
d) And to put the cherry on the cake, while I am in favour of most of the proposals, the report was drawn up by MEPA and ADT !! Before addressing the traffic and environment problems, let's first tackle these two monsters by first overhauling them (or should I say reboring)!
Phil Press
Sep 28th 2009, 18:37
Picture say's it all. LOL.
A. Calleja
Sep 28th 2009, 18:32
Is there a chance that ALL car sprayers are removed from residential areas and transferred to industrial zones outside villages?? I live in a neighbourhood with two car sprayers and I have to inhale car spray all day long because I can't afford better cleaner housing! Is this fair??!!! Can this reform be included in the New Air Quality Plan please?? I'm dying of lung cancer...
mario camilleri
Sep 28th 2009, 18:08
WHY NOT BUS FREE DAYS.
a fabri
Sep 28th 2009, 17:48
They will be free also for
PM, MPs & ......... our eco friendly buses!!
If yes . I agree.
Marthese Vella
Sep 28th 2009, 17:32
Start off by checking buses on the roads, whilst they are working,then take off the road and fine the drivers heavily.Prove that you say what you mean and mean what you say.Till then,we don't believe you.
DVella
Sep 28th 2009, 17:01
Car Free . . . what a JOKE . . . ! WHY NOT BUS FREE DAYS . . . the decrease in pollution would be at least ten times as much!!!
J Brownie
Sep 28th 2009, 16:56
Some great ideas indeed - if and on if there will be enough and serious political will ( and I mean from the opposition as well ) to implement them.