In 1990 there were approximately 182,000 registered motor vehicles on our roads. Today, the number has practically doubled and stands at an inordinate 320,000, making Malta’s per capita vehicle ownership figures among the highest worldwide.

Cars are obviously no longer frills or indulgences. And even if we were to concede that owning a car might still be something of a luxury for some, it would certainly seem to be a luxury everyone is willing and able to afford. As nations go, we’re pretty obsessed and enamoured of our cars, and ironically, it’s probably the low-end income earners who display an even more overwhelming emotional attachment to their ‘wheels’ – polishing, buffing, scrubbing, even naming and anthropomorphising them.

Last Monday’s return of TVM’s Reporter featured an extensive discussion on Malta’s insufferable road transport and traffic situation, which happened to coincide perfectly with a very uncharacteristic and atypical drive I took to the international air show the day before. It is not hyperbole to say that I spent more time stuck in traffic than I did watching the show.

Thinking about it now, my conscious decision to drive to the air show was a moment of madness which I don’t regret but which I am not likely to repeat in a hurry. Which is actually a great pity, because once you got there, it was a rather pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon outdoors.

Over the years, I seem to have developed a loathing and intolerance for hassle and have the same relationship with traffic and inconvenience that I have with unpleasant weather.

Basically, I’d rather stay home and wait for both to clear, which is probably why I spend more time on the sofa than anywhere else. The thought of wading through relentless traffic, eventually getting there and then not being able to find a legal (or illegal) parking space invariably makes the sofa look like a much more sensible and comfortable alternative to Notte Bianca.

It’s no way to live and it really shouldn’t have to be that way, especially on an island surrounded by sea. When you consider the size of our island and the endless possibilities, public transport should be a cinch. And, as Jesmond Mugliett pointed out on Reporter, this government simply can’t afford to get transport wrong.

Whatever the failings of the previous administration, there can be no more excuses. The pressure is on – come January, the government has got to perform. And since performance paranoia is always an issue, let me just say that here too size matters – especially so, in fact.

As always, it’s the quality not the quantity, although bigger is definitely not better. No more King-Long ridiculously cumbersome, oversized buses.

Buses need to be compact, nippy, smart, abundant and frequent. I’ve been scouring the roads and can safely report that BUS 352 and BUS 267 (those would be the registration plates) are the perfect size.

That said – and even if Labour delivers on its electoral transport promise and offers a seamless transportation system – I do believe that the traffic won’t be going anywhere very fast. At least, not unless drastic measures are taken and people are shocked out of their comfort zone.

Human beings are creatures of habit and fundamentally lazy. Furthermore, they tend to do things automatically, without consciously thinking about whether they even want to be doing them. I’m the perfect example.

I keep telling myself I’m going to ride the bus into Valletta but have never bothered familiarising myself with the system. I am neither acquainted with numbers (I still think of buses in terms of 60, 62, 63 and 67) nor with timetables. So even if I’m making unusually good time in the morning and have an extra half hour at my disposal, I’ll still grab hold of my car keys.

Bottom line – if you want people to rethink their habits and change the way they travel, then simply offering comfortable, reliable and hassle transportation alternatives won’t cut it. If you want to persuade people to get rid of their cars, you are going to have to break their patterns and routines. And the only way to do that is to coerce them into change.

People need to realise that they can get by without their car, and more than that, that the entire country’s productivity and ‘feel goodness’ is better for it.

Malta’s per capita vehicle ownership figures are among the highest worldwide

Imagine what Malta would sound, look and feel like if road traffic was reduced by roughly half. Imagine how much more productive your day and business could be with less congestion on the roads.

So how’s this for a plan? An odd and even car experiment (and the alphabetical A/B equivalent for personalised plates) just two weekdays a month, with the added incentive of free (or discounted) road and sea transport on the days the restriction applies.

For the restriction to work there’d need to be an effective enforcement system in place with penalties for recalcitrant motorists. Many would risk the fine, others might choose to work from home and others would try beating or getting round the system.

But some would be forced into breaking old habits, letting go of their security blanket. And hopefully some might even opt for public transport and make some new habits along the way.

I can feel your wrath...

But wait. There could be any number of permutations and combinations: electric and hybrid cars, cars carrying more than four passengers and delivery vans could be exempt. Think about it – a small inconvenience and price to pay for a day off from road rage.

And if it were to reduce traffic congestion in the process and put an end to the epic nerve-wracking gridlock, it would be well worth it. In time, people might even come to think of it naturally and automatically. It won’t be easy but who would ever have thought that the Maltese would cooperate with the no smoking ban or agree to wearing seat-belts? I think we should just do it.

michelaspiteri@gmail.com