The Environment and Resources Authority is studying the possibility of introducing a number of new traffic measures that could include low-emission zones – areas where access by heavily pollutant cars will be restricted, The Sunday Times of Malta has learnt.
Nadine Mercieca, who heads the air quality team at the Environment Resources Authority, said the ERA was looking into the effect low-emission areas have had in other countries where such measures were implemented.
Transport Malta’s master plan already commits itself to studying low-emission zones and “we cannot help but agree with this,” Ms Mercieca said.
Different countries have tackled low-emission zones differently, according to ERA air quality specialist Mark Scerri. For example, Germany decided that environmentally friendly cars can pass freely through certain areas while others would have to pay a fee.
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Other EU Member States charge for the parking of cars which are not deemed to be environmentally friendly. Some countries have also implemented a congestion charge to encourage people to shift to cleaner cars, Mr Scerri said.
“Different Member States have adopted different techniques. Some banned certain types of cars from passing through the area while others have introduced technology that monitors congestion.”
The ERA is now studying the different scenarios before making any recommendations on the best option. Any measures, Mr Scerri said, needed to be planned out correctly.
The State of the Environment report, published last month, found there have been improvements in the quality of air since 2009.
However, traffic is a major contributor of the pollutants found in the air, as detected by monitoring stations across Malta and Gozo. A station in Msida picks up higher levels of air pollution due to rush-hour traffic.
The stations, scattered across the country, detect two different types of particulate matter, among other things. The finer particulate matter makes its way into the bloodstream whereas the coarser affects the respiratory tract, leading to conditions such as wheezing and asthma, Mr Scerri explained.
Malta is also exceeding World Health Organisation recommendations for levels of particular pollutants emitted into the air, Mr Scerri added, noting this was also common in other EU member states.
And while some cars have become more environmentally friendly, many more are now on the road, potentially cancelling out improvement, Ms Mercieca noted.
“Traffic is not only a government issue but it’s a people’s issue,” she said, adding the country needed to rethink car use.