With Arriva threatening to pull out and the Transport Minister claiming he has a ‘Plan B’, the future of public transport has never looked so uncertain. Kristina Chetcuti has a look at what’s popular in other European countries and examines the history of Maltese transport to explore what other forms of alternative transport might be considered.
The cable car was a pre-election pledge by Labour candidates in Mellieħa.Cable cars
The word cable car conjures up images of mountains and skiing resorts, but as the Mellieħa mayor said earlier this year, they can offer an alternative solution for the transportation system.
The cable car was a pre-election pledge by Labour candidates in the coastal village, promising to carry passengers from Mellieħa centre to Għadira Bay.
Plans have yet to be commissioned and mayor John Buttigieg said he did not know how much it would cost to build or where the stations would be, but he intended to install it within four years.
Cable cars are deemed more efficient and produce very low emissions.
Some cities in Europe, such as Toulouse, are considering a cable car service, which will be connected to the metro.
The Railway ran between 1883 and 1931.Railway
Today it can take an hour to drive from Rabat to Valletta during the morning rush hour. By train – more than a century ago – it used to take less than 30 minutes.
The line connected Valletta, Floriana, Ħamrun, Attard, Birkirkara, Rabat and Mdina, extending over 11km, with the roads chained off when a train was approaching. The 34-carriage train, affectionately known as Il-Vapur tal-Art (the ship of land), offered first class and third class seating, and was originally illuminated by candles.
But the Malta Railway was short-lived, only running on and off between 1883 and 1931 due to financial constraints. Could it be that it is time to reconsider?
Chris Ellul Vincenti’s dudu.Rickshaws
Rickshaws are an essential form of urban transport in many developing countries, but a variant of them is fast becoming a form of novelty transport in several Western countries. They are known as tuk-tuk, trishaw, rickshaw, or mototaxi and are the motorised version of the traditional rickshaw.
Chris Ellul Vincenti’s passion for travelling inspired him to set up the dudu.com.mt last summer, which started operating fuel-free bicycle rickshaws in Sliema, St Julian’s, Valletta and Paceville.
The pedal-powered, zero-emission bikes have a small electric motor to assist the riders. But the dudus have been on the road for only a few months and their popularity is still to be determined.
The much maligned white taxis.Taxis
In Malta hailed or street taxis are only prolific in touristic areas. The much maligned white taxis operate on a fixed fare basis, from specific pre-paid booths at the ferry port, the airport and Paceville. For the rest of Malta they are supposed to use a taxi meter. In all the main cities in Europe, cabs are a main form of transport, with taxi stands based in key areas, and constantly roving so they can be hailed down.
A water taxi service was launched two years ago.Water taxis
A water taxi is a watercraft used to provide public transport, usually but not always in an urban environment. Service usually operates in similar manner to a bus, with stops on the way, or on demand, like a taxi. It is different from a ferry because that only offers a shuttle service betweentwo points.
A water taxi service was launched two years ago, offering trips across Grand Harbour and from Cospicua to Valletta, stopping in Senglea. But this did not radically change the way people travel. People have complained that fares are expensive (Valletta-Vittoriosa fare is of €2.50 per person); the service is not frequent enough (a boat that carries only 12 passengers runs a round trip every 30 minutes); and that it goes out of service too early (6.15pm in winter and 7.15pm in summer) for many people working in Valletta.
Angelo Xuereb wants Malta to adopt a monorail system.The monorail
In 1991 businessman Angelo Xuereb had suggested that Malta could only improve its transport system if it adopted a monorail system, based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support.
Mr Xuereb thinks that 20 years down the line, his multi-million euro proposal is still valid. The idea would be to have circular buses in villages that would pick up and drop off commuters at a mono-rail station.
There would be four interchange stations along a circular route that could be located at the ex-Drydock’s entrance; the Marsa industrial estate; Mater Dei Hospital; and the Valletta Bus terminus.
“The project could gradually expand over the decades to service areas like the airport and Paceville,” Mr Xuereb said.
Setting up the infrastructure would be costly and tunnels would have to be dug out, he said. “But do you know how easy that is? It’s like cutting cheese with a knife”. He estimated that to get from Rabat to Valletta, it would take around 15 minutes – including waiting time.
“One day we’re going to have to do this,” he said.
The tram linked Valletta with the three Cities, Birkirkara and Żebbuġ.The tram
In 1904, trams linked Valletta with the Three Cities, Birkirkara and Żebbuġ.
The cabs had two floors. The lower one carried 20 passengers seating while the rest, mostly farmers carrying their produce, including live animals to be sold at Valletta market, travelled standing.
The upper floor took up to 18 sitting passengers. No standing was allowed due to the overhead electric wires. The tram had no doors or windows, while the upper deck had no roof. The Malta Tramway service came to an end in 1929.
Trams, which are powered by electricity, run on tracks along urban streets and sometimes separate rights of way. They arepopular in main cities all over Europe with many commuters opting to use trams rather than their personal cars.