Transportation Policy
The way mobility is viewed in Malta needs a re-imagining. Cars should not be seen as the default option, especially considering the amount of space roads occupy within our tiny islands. With our high population density we need to re-evaluate our approach.
National Study Project
- Initiate a national research project in the viability of having just and also every combination possible of the following modes of transport in Malta.
- Metro system
- Tram system
- Light rail system
- Ferry system
- Raid Bus Transit system
- Include the introduction of a one-card system for all public transport alongside the national research project, promoting accessibility/ease of access.
- Considering the following factors;
- Cost to establish
- Return of Investment Duration
- Change in Car-Use
- Environmental Impact/Benefit
- Ensure both Malta and Gozo are included within any research.
- Conduct the research with an Integrity Pact to ensure the research is done fairly and transparently.
- Consider both the scenarios in which a Malta-Gozo tunnel exists or doesn’t with the integration of the possible mode of transport.
- Ensure all data is publicly accessible digitally, up to date, and also physically available on request.
- Set a 4-year deadline for the research
- Ensure new data is published publicly every 6 months, in Spring and Autumn.
- Extend the deadline for 2 years if research is incomplete.
Pedestrianisation
- Conduct research on the state of Malta’s pedestrian space.
- Expand the ‘Slow Streets’ project to more localities.
- Transition into permanent pedestrianisation of village cores.
- Create a Walkable Malta.
- Ensure shaded pavement to whatever extent possible. The choice of shade will be in the following order of priority according to possibility.
- Natural shade (Flora that can grow, or already exists that covers pedestrian space.)
- When creating additional natural shade, ensure flora is indigenous.
- Artificial shade
- Artificial shade should also take into consideration different weather events (ensure it is effective when it rains)
- Natural shade (Flora that can grow, or already exists that covers pedestrian space.)
- Ensure pavement is accessible to individuals who use wheelchairs and pushchairs.
- If the space is occupied with bags pending garbage collection, seek out alternative waste collection solutions.
- Ensure pavement is maintained, to ensure it is usable by all individuals, especially those who make use of wheelchairs, pushchairs, blind individuals, and other possible situations.
- Ensure shaded pavement to whatever extent possible. The choice of shade will be in the following order of priority according to possibility.
- Increase lighting for footbridges, alleyways and other roads not sufficiently lit for evenings.
Bikeability
- Ensure bike-sharing is possible nationwide.
- Create grants to set up bicycle parking stations in more locations.
- Create grants to set up bicycle parking stations in more locations.
- Set up more bicycle parking stations across Malta for privately-owned bicycles.
- Ensure strict penalties tied to the driving licence of individuals who use the priority lane illegally.
- Create effective security barriers for bicycle lanes that are adjacent to the road to protect individuals using the alternative routes.
- Expand the bikeability of Malta. Cooperate with NGOs to expand the network of roads usable by alternative methods.
- Ensure road networks between localities are safe for individuals commuting with alternative transport.
- Ensure road networks between localities are safe for individuals commuting with alternative transport.
- Any road expansion must only be possible if it first creates a safe bicycle lane zone, and secondly the space for priority lanes, thirdly for regular automobiles.
- Solve existing road bottlenecks, especially those inflicted by recent road expansions, by slimming the roads around the bottlenecks, and adopting a safe bicycle lane where possible.
- Enforce laws pertaining to bicycles & electric scooters.
- Introduce Presumed Liability for motor vehicle users to provide cyclists legal protection.
- Introduce government-funded personal and vehicular insurance for bicycle users.
- Ensure widespread setup of Sheffield Bicycle Racks across Malta and Gozo.
- Introduce Contraflow exemptions for cyclists akin to those for buses.
Busses
- Work towards a 24/7 bus system. To effectively increase uptake of public transport.
- Regular bus schedules should continue until midnight.
- Ensure a consistent, nationwide, night bus schedule.
- Maintain the current night bus routes.
- Create routes for every locality in Malta that is serviced hourly.
- Increase the number of priority lanes, ensure they are considered during road expansion after bicycle lanes and before regular roads.
Cars
- Develop conditionalities for when road expansion may/may not be acceptable.
- Ensure a condition is that the road must attempt other modes of increasing connectivity through 0/low emissions mobility first.
- Ensure a condition is that the road must attempt other modes of increasing connectivity through 0/low emissions mobility first.
- Create metered parking in, and around village cores.
- For individuals who own 2 or more vehicles, and do not have enough garage space to accommodate all cars, create a regular penalty fee for every car the individual can not accommodate in a garage space, excluding the primary car. The annual penalty will be €1,500 per year, per car.
- E.g If the person owns 2 cars but has no garage space or has only 1 garage space, they are penalised for 1 car.
- If the person owns 4 cars but has no garage space or only 1 garage space, they are penalised for 3 cars.
- If the person has 2 garage spaces they are penalised for 2 cars.