Transport Minister Joe Mizzi has directed Transport Malta to compile a road safety strategy which would be the basis for the operations of a Road Safety Council.
He announced his decision at a meeting of the Parliamentary Social Affairs Committee which discussed a report compiled by Nationalist MP Toni Bezzina on traffic accidents and traffic gridlock.
At times, committee chairwoman Deborah Schembri suspended the audio streaming system due to bickering between Opposition members and the minister.
Mr Bezzina said Transport Malta was responsible for road network and safety. He noted that a recent Tal-Barrani fatal accident was due to non-working traffic lights.
Mr Mizzi said the traffic lights situation was precarious since many sets were old and spare parts were unavailable. Some sets were being cannibalised to service lights in more crucial areas. New systems required a tendering process which was lengthy. Moreover, he alleged that the tender was “tailor-made for someone”. So currently, “what can be done is being done but the situation cannot be changed overnight”.
Mr Mizzi announced that Transport Malta had been asked to compile a road safety report which wasto include all sorts of uses of the roads and accidents by date, time and type. This would feed into the data of the Road Safety Council which would manage road traffic strategy.
He said that short-term and long-term decisions would need to be taken, including on the use of roads by horses and co-ordination with the police.
Dr Etienne Grech (PL) said that the initiative to erect “Speed Kills” notices was a good one. He said that when a traffic accident happened during the rush hour at Marsa, the whole south was blocked. He asked if there was some speedy way to solve the issue.
Mr Mizzi said that when an accident involved a horse, only a vet could touch the animal and the Government vet was precluded from going to the scene.
Marsa, he said, was key to the south and a contingency plan as a palliative to the gridlock there was being studied.
Another aspect was the need for fewer cars on the road. Solutions should also include an upgrade of the transport system using EU funds for improving the road infrastructure through the TEN-T network.
The identified bottle-necks included Marsa (near the Addolorata cemetery ), Kappara and Msida. These were the area which mostly needed to be addressed. The infrastructure, said the minister, could not take the number of vehicles on the road at the moment.
Silvio Parnis (PL) said that the diversion opened near the old Marsa quay provided an excellent by-pass to alleviate the congestion, and roads in Albert Town should also be used to divert traffic. Furthermore he suggested a campaign to boost Arriva credibility.
Marthese Portelli (PN) asked what contingency plans were in place regarding the bus service following reports that Arriva was considering quitting.
Mr Mizzi said that the situation with Arriva was at a status quo. More buses and more kilometre coverage were needed.