Labour MP Joe Sammut today said that the time has come to hand over certain bays to the private sector in order to turn them into marinas.

“Certain areas should be preserved, but it is a fact that certain bays need to be rehabilitated and turned into marinas which will attract a considerable number of tourists,” he said in Parliament.

He said the bays should be run as a public-private partnership.

Dr Sammut said that such marinas do not spring up everywhere, and those running the marinas must be capable of bringing in results.

He said a land reclamation project should have been embarked upon “ages ago,” because it provides opportunities to create new space for Malta’s industry and infrastructure.

The Malta Tourism Authority should advertise the facilities available to superyacht owners, he said.

Labour MP Silvio Parnis said an efficient public transport system is the way to tackle Malta’s traffic problem.

The government inherited a broken system, and is now looking ahead in order to remedy the matter.

Notable progress has already been made since Arriva pulled out and the government took over the service, he said.

The Opposition has no credibility when it comes to public transport, and bus fares will not be going up despite their scaremongering, he said.

Although the subsidy given to the new transport provider will increase, the increase will go towards improving the service and expanding the routes, he said.

Mr Parnis said it is no secret that traffic increases when the scholastic year starts, and it is worth discussing whether staggering school starting hours may help alleviate the problem.

Ferries and underground transport and bike rentals should all be looked into, he said.