I currently stand at the crossroads of my life, some may say. Having my A levels behind the door and the continuous reminders that I am starting to resemble more my dad, it is about time to think about my future. Engineering is my true passion. I am in love with the idea of taking a burden and turning it into a solution.
Some years ago, I was given the opportunity to join local science students at a University of Malta internship. This was perhaps the first time I experienced the burden of travelling a mere 5.2km (and yes, I did measure it) stretch of water daily.
I say ‘mere’ as the distance between the islands is small and it is absurd to think that a stretch of water can cause such controversy. Then, I was passionately against the idea of a tunnel between Malta and Gozo.
My father tells me that engineers are a separate species from the rest of the broader Homo Sapiens. Engineers act, socialise and think like engineers; they think laterally. Also, engineering is non-democratic.
Engineering makes objective decisions which are sometimes not popular, nevertheless the better decisions. The mistake that I made was that I kept the idea of the permanent link under emotional thought. True, I was passionately against, but I was not laterally in favour. I did not think like an engineer.
Nowadays people do not think cohesively and as a result are dictated by feelings. Now, eliminate these feelings. Regardless of which career you have, you are going to think like an engineer.
Doing nothing is an option. After all, with some difficulty the three ferries presently get the job done. Run all three ferries during rush hour and the problem would be solved. But now go a step deeper in this thought process. Engineers are proactive thinkers. Let’s run the thought again.
The number of vehicles crossing the islands has increased by 5.9 per cent on the first quarter alone (2017 to 2018). In one year, the number of vehicles crossing the channel is about 1.5 million. Taking the 5.9 per cent increase rate, the number of cars using the ferry will double in 12 years.
What about increasing the trips one may ask? It is theoretically possible but running an outdated service at twice the rate will stress the ferries and the employees further.
If three ferries cannot keep up with the demand, surely four ferries can. To a certain degree this statement is true. But there is one major flaw in this argument. The engineer can never assume the demand for a service is a fixed constant. The gradient (rate of change) of passengers to time of day shows two peaks – one at 7am and another at around 5pm.
The effectiveness of a fourth ferry is undeniable in such circumstances. While a fourth ferry is technically possible to operate, it is economically impossible apart from these two peaks. Surely a fourth ferry can extend the 12-year expiration date we talked about earlier, but delaying the problem is not good enough.
There is also the issue of pollution. Diesel is an organic molecule (C12H24). The 12 denotes the number of carbon atoms and as a general (oversimplified) rule, the more the content of carbon per molecule, the more the particulate matter.
Congestion is not removed by restricting it. What better ways are there to eliminate traffic congestion other than to facilitate its mobility?
For diesel to combust efficiently it needs a supply of oxygen and the larger the engine the larger the demand for oxygen. Should the engine receive reduced oxygen, the carbon dioxide (CO2) produced in an ordinary burn is traded for carbon monoxide (CO). This gas is especially dangerous not only for the environment but for human health.
The human body can to a certain degree tolerate carbon dioxide but on the other hand, carbon monoxide kills a human within minutes.
The idea of a fast ferry is to bypass all the traffic in Malta’s busy centre and provide a variety of destinations at speed. The idea of having a fast ferry for passengers can only be implemented with major upgrades in the public transport available. The distance between Gozo and Grand Harbour is 27kms.
Currently the world’s fastest ferry (the HSC Francisco) can reach a speed of 107km/h. That gives a theoretical trip time of 15 minutes. But any engineer knows that real life rarely matches the ideal scenario. A trip can realistically take 30 minutes given time for a safe exit from the port, acceleration and docking.
Also, if northern winds hit the island a fast ferry cannot operate at all. While one may see the fast ferry as the ‘green alternative’ over a car tunnel, it is important to note the power plant of such ferries; marine grade gas turbines.
This will worsen emissions in the Grand Harbour, which are up to 10 times higher than in most congested roads in Malta. Also, even if the ferries are passenger only, the strain on public transport will be greater.
But now let us assume that the issue of public transport is resolved, and the ferry is passenger only, that will create an issue of parking in Gozo. The Gozo terminal parking lot takes 160 cars and another 140 spaces within a 400m radius from the terminal; 300 cars come nowhere close to the actual 3,200 daily car figures (and that is a best-case scenario).
Debate has been put forward regarding whether we should go for a car tunnel, metro or immersed tunnel. Neither one is superior to the other, but it is simply a matter of implementing the correct option at the right time. Also, the idea of behind the destruction of Gozo will not be discussed.
The reason is simple. The changes made need to come from the Planning Authority and not from an infrastructural project. But what are the advantages really, of a permanent link?
Ideally a system aims at a regular flow rate, but as we already mentioned this is rarely the case. The total elimination of obstacles and inefficiencies is therefore prioritised, and the terminal and queues are one big inefficiency. The idea of a permanent link is not to cut down on the 25-minute ferry trip, but to remove the queues.
A trip from Valletta to Ċirkewwa takes around 45 minutes but sometimes a car may find itself stuck in queue from 30 minutes to three hours. That means spending an average of 40 per cent to an absurd 80 per cent of the commute stationary.
As a general engineer’s rule: congestion is not removed by restricting it. What better ways are there to eliminate traffic congestion other than to facilitate its mobility? In other words, engineers embrace the idea that an environment cannot change. Only we can.
The engineer caters for the target user first and foremost. If you are a Maltese citizen, ask yourself, how often do you cross to Gozo? What do you cross to Gozo for? Do you think you are the target user over the students, the employees and the patients?
As I conclude, I do need to point out that the information and statistics I obtained are readily available on the NSO’s website and I prioritised unbiased, objective data. I do encourage you to look at the reports yourself and wisely formulate an opinion.
I am a Gozitan student with hopes and aspirations. But for now, at least, I am a number on weekdays and an exhibit on weekends.
Matthew Curmi is a Gozitan student studying engineering.
This is a Times of Malta print opinion piece