The regeneration we waited for

For decades, commuters using the public transport system have had to put up with an unreliable system that gave little or no heed to the importance of customer service. We have to admit that, although some improvements were made now and again, the service offered was poor when compared to that in other countries.

Hundreds of letters have been written on the newspapers complaining about mistreatment, especially from foreigners visiting our island. A ride on a so-called quaint bus could easily turn into a nightmare and this for making the grand mistake of asking the driver for directions. I do not mean to be negative, nor do I want to put all the drivers in one basket, because some of them take their job seriously and do try their best to promote Malta. However, there is no denying the fact that as the situation stands now the service offered by the public transport is at best mediocre. This when fares have gone up repeatedly always on the premise of improving the service but while rates never went down again, the service regularly plummeted after a few days.

If there were to be a change, it had to be a drastic one. We needed an overhaul of the whole system and, finally, the day when we will have state-of-the-art transport facilities is almost here. We are all looking forward for July 3, when the new operators of the public transport system – Arriva – will finally take over. I am sure the Arriva operators will live up to the high expectations there are and we will, finally, have a system that is user-friendly, reliable and safe.

Another subject that has filled pages and pages of our newspapers throughout the years has undoubtedly been the sorry state of many of the roads. Finally, we are seeing a holistic plan to tackle this problem unfold. Thanks to the careful planning by the Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport and Communication, spearheaded by Minister Austin Gatt, we now have a plan that makes sense. No longer are we patching and rebuilding roads just to solve a crisis but, maybe for the first time, we are seeing projects take off with a sensible schedule in mind.

If there can ever be an example of European Union funds being used wisely this is the perfect case and the millions of euros allocated to us are being used in a very sensible way. Nevertheless, EU funds alone do not build roads. The difference between this push to rebuild roads and others before it is the simple fact that every project is interconnected so as to cause the minimum inconvenience as possible to drivers. With all the work going on there will undoubtedly be heavier traffic on the roads for a while but it will certainly be worth the hassle once all the projects are completed.

The whole transport and communication system is finally entering another dimension. This is an era where the needs of the commuter come first. We are actually planning with the customer in mind!

These projects do not stop here. It is not only the arterial roads and public transport that are being made more accessible but even the city and village cores. The places where people live and interact daily are being made more user-friendly and more pleasing to the eye. One classic example is the regeneration of the Cottonera area, a place so long regarded as a depressed area. This whole region has been undergoing a transformation that will not only make it more accessible to residents but will generate an economic resurgence that is badly needed and has been lacking in the area for so long.

So far, a staggering €7.5 million have been secured for this endeavour and there are already signs of a rebirth of the area. I have no doubts that when this project is completed it will give the whole area a breath of fresh air that the people of The Three Cities and their surroundings deserve so much and have been deprived of for such a long time.

The pedestrianisation of Bisazza Street, in Sliema is another project that had more accessibility in mind. Activity in one of the busiest streets in Malta will be now exploited to the maximum and this will generate more business and more interaction while being more environmentally- and user-friendly.

Finally, I cannot leave out Merchants Street, Valletta. The much-awaited street furniture is now in place and walking through this street one can immediately sense some good vibes. The transformation of Merchants Street has been an incredible one and its feel-good factor is evident in the number of pedestrians that use it daily, be it to shop or for refreshments. It has become the meeting place for Valletta people and out-of-towners alike. We need more like Merchants and Bisazza streets. We need to give the city and village cores back to the people, obviously keeping in mind the logistical aspect.

This is the regeneration of Malta that many people have been waiting for so long. It is happening before us right now. Let’s hope this plan will be extended to as many localities as possible so that our citizens can live in a healthier and more pleasing environment.

The author is a Nationalist member of the European Parliament.