The traffic congestion that has become endemic in most parts of the island must be affecting the economy negatively as many hours of productive time is lost while workers struggle to get to their place of work on time. Although the public transport reform has, so far, not given the desired results, there have been new developments, some of which are positive while others are a cause of concern.
Arriva is in the news again for the wrong reasons. The parking lot in Blata l-Bajda, which it runs, is practically deserted while frustrated drivers commuting to work with their cars waste time searching for an affordable parking place. Many understandably consider the €3.75 daily charge to park their car as unreasonable and prefer to spend time looking for a free parking slot.
Rather than diminish the number of cars on our roads, the new bus service may have actually persuaded more drivers not to take risks with public transport and, instead, rely on their cars to get to and from work. It would not be amiss for Transport Malta to gauge the situation scientifically in order to establish whether there are indeed more cars on the road, where exactly and why.
The economic implications of the still inefficient public transport system, the insufficient parking facilities near busy office locations, the inadequate road network, ineffective traffic management and the poor state of many of the roads need to be studied in depth as they are affecting many businesses.
What many find very frustrating is the apparent inability of the transport authority and the ministry responsible for transport to come up with solutions – hopefully not draconian – that could ease pressure on roads.
The pricing policy adopted by Arriva for its parking facilities in Blata l-Bajda is not working. When supply of much-needed parking facilities fails to attract sufficient demand because the price for such facilities is unrealistically high, the solution should surely be a lowering of such rates. If a private commercial operator fails to react to remedy this situation, perhaps hoping that, in the end, helpless drivers will have no choice but to put their hands in their pockets and pay the hefty fees, it is time for the regulator to step in to instil some sense in the strategy of the operators.
One hopes that this most recent flaw in Arriva’s services is resolved speedily by the company in consultation with its customers. There is no need for yet another high-powered task force to address the matter. The transport regulator should safeguard the interests of drivers who rightly expect not to be exploited by a service provider that arguably enjoys a dominant position even in the provision of parking facilities in a commercially sensitive area near Valletta.
A more positive development that could resolve, at least partially, the problem of traffic congestion on most of our roads is the proposed reintroduction of sea transport services in the harbour area. The call for offers for operators to provide a ferry service linking the Sliema area with Valletta and Cottonera should, hopefully, arouse sufficient interest to make this a reliable and alternative means of transport that will ease pressure on our roads.
The introduction of a lift service at the Upper Barrakka should ease access to the centre of Valletta thereby making transport by ferry a viable option.
A thorough assessment of the transport infrastructure and systems is long overdue in order to ease pressure on drivers and commuters and support economic growth.