The Labour Government is exploring new means of transport as part of its plan for traffic and transport, Minister Joe Mizzi told Parliament today.

Speaking during the General Estimates for next year, Mr Mizzi said the Government was exploring underground, monorail and sea transport and would give incentives to car owners to switch their engines to auto-gas, which would cause less pollution.

He said that since March, the Government had already invested €5 million in the Cottonera project. While the PN government had obtained €21 million in EU funds for infrastructure in 2012, the labour government would obtain another €13 million next year, he said.

This Government, he said, had given the Dock 1 project priority and implemented in months what had not been implemented in years. The government was also working to regenerate the Cottonera area and action would be taken to prevent the spares of the Cospicua Church from collapsing.

On oil exploration, he said that the Government changed the dimension of oil exploration in the Mediterranean and a project was undertaken to convert information gathered in the past to be converted into a database for companies.

Notable progress was made with Italy and Libya and discussions with the Tunisian government would commence in the coming future.