A study by the World Health Organisation in 2015 concluded that air pollution in Malta costs the economy an annual €550 million in consequent disease and death. The latest edition of the annual Air Quality in Europe report by the European Environment Agency shows that premature deaths due to air pollution have continued to increase, rising from 220 in 2012 to 270 in 2016. The tally of premature deaths is directly attributed to pollutants in the air and represents more than 710 years of life lost to Maltese citizens.
Air pollution is linked to heart disease and strokes, lung cancer and lung disease or other respiratory diseases such as asthma. It also affects the built heritage and animal and plant health.
Air pollution is a silent killer that strikes both humans and the larger ecological systems. Five years ago, the government’s manifesto committed itself to improving Malta’s air quality. This would be a top priority, it said. Among other things, it promised the introduction of a transport strategy that would encourage the use of more electric cars. Like many manifesto promises, this is one that has hardly got off the ground. Indeed, according to the European Environment Agency, matters have simply got worse.
Public, commercial and private transport are the major causes of air pollution. The pollutants generated by vehicles occur at street level and pose a major public health hazard. Indeed, according to the latest State of the Environment report by the Environment and Resources Authority, students in classrooms facing roads have a higher rate of respiratory conditions.
The crux of the problem in curbing air pollution lies in tackling the ever-growing motor-vehicles monster.
Riding in a car offers little or no protection against pollutants generated by traffic and, yet, Maltese citizens are daily subjected to the fumes and emissions of trucks and cars, which spew pollution into the air affecting motorists and pedestrians alike, the latter being at an even higher risk from exhaust fumes.
Where does responsibility for this lie? The control of vehicle emissions rests with Transport Malta although the ERA is responsible for monitoring air pollution.
There are areas where urgent action needs to be taken by the Transport Minister. Every effort must be made to reduce dependence on private cars by massively improving the quality and convenience of public transport.
Radical improvements in day-to-day traffic management are vital too. While the government’s all-out plans for improvements to major road networks are welcome to drivers and long overdue, they will not make any dent on the ill-effects of traffic and poisonous air pollution. On the contrary, greater car use could make health matters worse.
The shift to more fuel-efficient, low-emission vehicles should be encouraged through further targeted tax measures that penalise high emission gas-guzzlers and encourage zero-emission vehicles. Businesses should be actively encouraged to switch to electrical delivery vehicles through tax concessions. The air pollution created by old heavy goods vehicles should be specifically targeted.
There must be a more radical vision for the future. Options for introducing other types of public transport, such as underground railways, trams or trolley buses and better maritime connections, should be actively pursued to promote a greater mix of mass public transport systems.
The government must greatly step up its efforts to address killer air pollution.
This is a Times of Malta print editorial