A pre-Budget proposal to increase the speed camera limit to 80 kilometres per hour in an attempt to reduce emissions will not receive the backing of Transport Malta when it reaches consultation stage.
It seems the recommendation may never see the light especially since it was slammed by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi last week when he argued that using public transport was the way forward to reducing emissions.
The proposal was made in the pre-budget document, published on July 27, and put forward by a government-appointed “green economy working group” within the Finance Ministry, a spokesman said.
The document proposes that speed camera limits in non-residential zones should increase to 80 kilometres per hour from 60, which results in higher fuel efficiency and lower emissions.
The ministry spokesman, who was asked to respond to the Prime Minister’s reaction, pointed out that the proposal had to be read in context of a number of recommendations – to reduce the level of emissions.
“The pre-budget document is not a definite set of new rules, decisions or guidelines but it is just a consultative document, where most of the proposals came from a number of entities related to the particular area of concern and the public,” the spokesman said.
But Transport Malta still disagrees with increasing the limit of speed cameras – even though it accepts it is just a proposal and not a final decision.
“We will say we don’t agree with the suggestion to increase speed limits essentially because scientific research shows that at higher car speeds the decrease in emissions of a car is negligible but the increase of a risk of accidents, including fatalities, is exponential,” Transport Malta told The Times.
Heavy traffic in Malta’s busiest roads is a major culprit behind the high emissions which recently led the European Commission to threaten Malta with infringement proceedings unless it drew up an air quality plan to address the pollution in the inner harbour region, which exceeds EU levels.
The finance ministry spokesman insisted the proposal was not a final decision but was there to be debated.
“Our task at this stage is to gather all the reactions in preparation for Budget 2011. As usual, we will organise consultation meetings later this year to allow more space for debate.”