Desperate times call for desperate measures. And so it is. As congested roads continue to be the order of the day, all sorts of suggestions are being made.

There has been mention of monorails, underground trains, banning trucks and delivery vehicles at peak times, changing school hours, introducing road tolls, offering free public transport, flyovers…

Now, of course, there can be some logic in these suggestions, many of which are implemented in different countries and work well.

Having said that, not every initiative successfully launched elsewhere is guaranteed to be as effective here because of the minuscule size of this country, the high population density, economies of scale and what have you. Indeed, there are many who would argue that the mushrooming of traffic lights across the Maltese islands was something donewithout much thought and study, just to take one example.

Still, traffic has become a huge problem and it will not solve itself by time. There has to be concerted action in short, medium and long term. We are already late in doing something about it and the way Transport Malta reacts when the going gets tough does not augur well at all.

Just days ago, Transport Malta let it be known that road tolls are not part of its National Transport Strategy, which, it pointed out, is being compiled and will be discussed during a nationwide public consultation process. They also said that the idea of free public transport during peak hours is being “actively studied”.

So, even if it has now been finally acknowledged that traffic congestion is not a perception, including by the higher echelons at the transport watchdog, we should not hold our breath that the powers-that-be will come up with any significant traffic-easing measures anytime soon.

The situation has now become almost desperate – some motorists would insist it already is – but that still does not justify desperate measures being taken. Desperate people usually make rash and catastrophic decisions. That must be avoided at all costs.

Before embarking on any drastic steps – which may be required as a last resort – a good beginning would be to ensure discipline on the roads, which is manifestly lacking and certainly the cause of so many avoidable bottlenecks, road rage and incidents.

This could range from cruising on the ‘fast’ lane, to double parking, to stopping ‘briefly’ in sensitive spots to collect/drop something, to pedestrians crossing a busy road even if subways exist. That cannot be done unless all available hands are on deck, be that police officers, local wardens or Transport Malta officials. The emphasis should be on education but defaulters must then be treated with an iron fist both by law enforcement officers and, more importantly, the courts.

In this regard, the legislator also needs to have a good look at existing rules to see whether they are adequate to suit today’s needs. Updating laws and regulations is just as necessary as giving incentives to have younger and cleaner, and, thus, more reliable vehicles.

Of course, there is a lot more to be done, notably making sure our road network is suitable for the traffic and vehicles it has to handle. The spirit seems to be willing, at least judging by what was stated in Parliament recently, but the flesh, in the form of the entity entrusted with doing the job, Transport Malta, is evidently weak.