The arguments made by Infrastructure Malta to justify the Central Link project were flawed, Alternattiva Demokratika has argued.

In its submission on the Environmental Impact Assessment, the party said the latter completely ignored the “clear and specific” objective of the National Transport Master-Plan 2025, that is a reduction in the number of cars on our roads.

“The EIA presented by Infrastructure Malta fails to consider the implementation of this objective among the various alternatives that can be used to address traffic congestion,” AD said.

The party argued that during 2018, 53.4 million people had used public transport: an increase of 11.25 per cent over 2017, saying this was a clear sign that the public was responding to sustainable transport options which were being made available.

“The Central Link will push the main Valletta-Rabat public transport service further away from residents, making it less accessible. A road map for implementing the objective of reducing the number of cars from our roads is the only sensible way forward. It is the long-term view which is missing in our transport policy. Once this road map is clearly defined, then it would be easier to reassess – and probably substantially redefine and downscale – the Central Link project on the basis of a realistic alternative,” AD said.