Some suffer from Monday blues. Many, on a daily basis, are going through traffic blues. Traffic congestion is becoming the order of the day. Rain or shine, our roads seem to be in a constant traffic gridlock. This is not about a biased perception. It is about being in one’s car fuming in frustration. A trip that usually takes around 20 minutes is taking an hour or even more.

We, as citizens, are paying a hefty price for this traffic mismanagement. Commuters are arriving late for their appointments. Workers are arriving late at their workplace. Employers are demanding that their staff make good for their late entry.

In some instances, workers are being asked to deduct their late entry from their leave entitlement, or even from their salary. Similarly, business operations are also being affected.

On the other hand, extra fuel consumption is leaving a mark on our environment. The extra consumption means less clean air for us to breathe. Besides the economic and environmental factors, one can also underline the social cost. After hoursfuming in exasperation, drivers and commuters are becoming nervous and edgy, both with their work colleagues and clients. How can, for an example, a teacher face his students after arriving late? Can a doctor calmly see to his patients when both are already tense?

Never as today have we experienced such traffic jams on a daily basis. It has truly become a daily nightmare

Let us be honest, Malta was never free from traffic congestion. Some of our roads are in a sorry state. To make matters worse, when it rains traffic comes to a complete standstill. Roads in particular get flooded easily and Msida is a classic example. Although over the years traffic has been a problem and previous administrations have introduced various traffic management measures and rain relief projects, never as today have we experienced such traffic jams on a daily basis.

It has truly become a daily nightmare. Unfortunately, the Labour Party, prior to the election, sought to assure us all that it had a concrete and a doable traffic road map. Expectations were raised sky-high. We were assured that traffic jams would be something of the past. Two and the half years down the line? Like various other promised ‘road maps’, this assurance was just another political gimmick.

The Labour government cannot continue to hold the previous administration responsible for the current scenario. It has had ample time and resources to redress the traffic situation. The latest proposals being presented are just a damage control exercise. So, our disappointment is appropriate and rightly justified.

Although I do not dare to offer any ‘road map’, I would like to share some thoughts.

We have an over-dependency on cars. We have too many for our size and limitations. It is becoming ‘normal’ for a family of four, to have four cars. For many, a car is a status symbol.

For young people, in particular, a car means independence. For their parents, they are relieved they no longer needto chauffeur their children around. For others, all their errands, even those done in their vicinity, are run in their cars. It is not surprising that we have an obesity problem. We need a change of mentality. We need to introduce policies and educational campaigns to address this over dependency.

We urgently need to improve our public transport. Although Arriva had its faults and the way it was introduced was unacceptable to many, the current service provider is proving to be another disappointment. Commuters have highlighted several shortcomings. Ironically, thegovernment preferred to triple the financial subsidy and lose the learning curve that Arriva had accumulated over one year in operation.

If the same subsidy, which is being given to the new operator, was granted to Arriva, the latter would have delivered more. What we need is more direct lines to and from certain localities, such as the University and Mcast. We need incentives for those who work in Valletta to use the public transport. As bars outlets hold ‘happy hours’, to encourage patrons, why not introduce ‘happy hour tickets’? Why can’t we also introduce ‘pick up points’, similar to ‘park and ride’, for students attending private and independent schools?

It is a known fact that many parents of children attending Church and independent schools drive their children to school. This leads to daily movements of cars from one part of the island to another. Most parents choose this option for several reasons. Could it be because the van fees are expensive? The Nationalist Party is proposing that the government pays for private transport. The government has been offering free transport to children attending State schools. Why is this different for the other schools? Initially, the government was reluctant to accept the PN’s proposal but now it is having a change of heart.

More can be done to reduce traffic - better planning of roads, education campaigns, better traffic management, encouraging carpooling, less roundabouts, less zebra crossings and traffic lights, more police presence and enforcement, better coordination when closing off major roads, prohibition of heavy vehicles and horses on the road during rush hour, encouraging the use of bicycles and encouraging alternative transport, such as water taxis.

Albert Buttigieg is a Nationalist Party candidate and a St Julian’s local councillor.