Malta is one of the first countries to have a long-term transport plan in place that had been approved by the European Commission, Transport Minister Joe Mizzi told parliament this evening.

The plan will allow the government to apply for extra funding similar to the €40 million obtained for the Addolorata Cemetry junction project, he said. 

Speaking during the debate in second reading for the Traffic Regulation Ordinance (Amendment) Bill, Mr Mizzi said congestion had increased by an average of 2.2 per cent a year since 1990, and would cost the country €1.28 billion by 2050 unless addressed.

Dr Mizzi said the government had introduced several measures to make life easier for car dealers, including a deposit box to facilitate the depositing of paperwork. 

Furthermore, he said, no changes had been made to legislation concerning category ‘S’ sea vehicles, and that Transport Malta had confirmed that nobody had been fined for hobby fishing from such vehicles.

Mr Mizzi also addressed complaints that the government had failed to tackle those illegally driving cars with foreign number plates, saying that while the previous administration had fined 100 such vehicle owners, this government had taken action against 43 in just two months this year. 

Since January, cars purchased abroad must be issued with a special 30-day license to be driven in Malta, he said. 

Responding to the Opposition’s observation that a lot of the infrastructure projects being implemented had been initiated by the previous administration, Mr Mizzi asked whether the Opposition expected it to leave on paper plans which the PN had never got around to finishing.