Lately a lot of emphasis has been placed on environmental issues and rightly so. The government continuously claims to be committed to placing the environment at the centre of its policies.

Many eco-friendly measures introduced in the last budget seem to accentuate the guiding principle of 'waste more, pay more'. At first glance, this may appear to complement a government plan to try to boost environmental awareness.

Perhaps all eco-friendly initiatives may be in some way or another attributed to good government intentions. However, in light of this, I wonder how most public buses in Malta still shamelessly emit black clouds of fumes, reeking of a mixture of diesel, dust and kerosene.

Describing such a scene saddens me. Although I may not be old enough, it brings to mind a Malta of at least 20 years ago, where the environment was not a particularly important issue.

It is extremely unfair that since the last 'eco-friendly' budget, the road licence price has tripled, all on grounds of safeguarding the environment; while the filthy conditions and emissions of public transport remained the same, posing a great health hazard to all of us.

In such a situation, I have to ask whether environmental enforcement only applies when tax collection is involved.

My message to the government is to continue taking the necessary measures to increase environmental awareness. But this should be exercised fairly, reflecting a genuine interest in the environment rather than serving as an excuse to increase tax.