The cancellation of plans for two car parks made this week a landmark in traffic planning in Malta, environment NGO Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar said today.

The welcome announcement that the long-contested Qui si-Sana car park plans were abandoned was followed by the dropping of the controversial Balluta car park plans following a residents' meeting with the St Julian's Council.

"It is time that all local councils recognize the consequences of severe traffic pollution on the health and wellbeing of the residents whose interests they are meant to represent. Local councils must cease to regard solutions to transport problems only in terms of car parks and more roads while totally disregarding the impact on health of residents," FAA said.

"Modern cities in Europe and North America are giving streets back to pedestrians and discouraging vehicles in urbanized areas by providing good-quality public transport. Sadly, until this week, our councils were doing exactly the opposite by attempting to install centrally located car parks which only attract more polluting traffic."

FAA also expresses its dismay that Marsa power station pumped unfiltered emissions into the air for seven months.

"FAA finds it difficult to believe that the emissions did not contaminate Malta's atmosphere with dangerous fine particulates, which are a cause of asthma, cancer and premature mortality, even if the monitoring station at Corradino indicated that particulate levels were not raised above the limit of permissible values. FAA condemns the fact that it took so many months of reports of covert night-time pollution to discover that the Power Station filters were disabled," the NGO said.

It called for more decisive action where residents' health is at stake.

The FAA said the decisions on these car parks was very significant to the development of local democracy, however these projects should have been opened to public consultation at a much earlier stage in the planning process, which would have avoided the wastage of significant public funds spent on studies and plans.

"EU membership brings with it the obligation to involve the public at an early stage of projects rather than presenting a fait accompli, as has also been done in the Valletta Regeneration Plan. These plans also include worrying implications of raised air pollution due to a lack of traffic management and inadequate public transport. It is not too late to integrate changes suggested by the public which would ensure a more acceptable, viable and successful project."