It is interesting to speculate why the titular “traffic expert” behind the article ‘Traffic expert: why circulation requires a change in mentality and long-term planning’ (TMID, p 10, 17 November) chose to remain anonymous. A good guess would be that he owns zillions of shares in the automobile industry and did not want to reveal a competing interest or that he loves his car too much, probably the latter.   

In this article the expert states the obvious and keeps on trying to re-invent the wheel. Of course a “proper road infrastructure” is needed. But (apart from the potholes) we do have a good road infrastructure; surely the real problem is that it is grossly overloaded because too many people use their car. How else can it be if one considers that we have nearly 1000 vehicles per square kilometre (or 2500 per square mile)? No amount of ‘proper planning’ or ‘introduction of new roads to meet new challenges’ is possible – short of covering Malta entirely with tarmac. The solution must lie elsewhere.

Of course patience is running out. And yes, it is a wonder that there is not more ‘aggressive driving’ and people ‘taking the law into their own hands’. And nobody would deny that the ‘consequences’ of bad driving and ‘non-observance of regulations’ could be ‘very serious indeed’, but please, Mr Traffic Expert, don’t drag the poor pedestrian into this, pedestrians don’t cause traffic jams. 

What is striking about this article is its ‘mono-modality’. Apart from a fleeting mention of minibuses, public transport and ferry, the tenor of the article is almost entirely on facilitating car traffic and, presumably, increasing car dependency. Such an approach is very 1950s and outdated. The modern approach in European cities and towns is quite the opposite; it discourages car use through various measures and encourages alternative mobility options.

If followed, this expert’s advice will only stoke the existing vicious cycle of traffic congestion. This anonymous traffic expert’s advice heads in the opposite direction of facilitating car use and making it as comfortable as possible through car-orientated solutions as building more roads, and the creation of yet more car parks. This is pure insanity when it is obvious that the existing infrastructure will be unable to handle the growing traffic and that provision for encouraging alternative mobility options are created in order to reduce excessive car dependency. It must also be remembered that, even though car ownership is very high in Malta, there remains a sizeable proportion of people who cannot afford a car – these stand to lose if improvements are made primarily for car movement.

The role of ‘active mobility’ – walking, bicycle, public transport – or a combination of these to relieve traffic congestion is totally omitted from this expert’s agenda. Yes, a profound change in mentality is needed – but it must be away from the car. The biggest obstacle to change in Malta is the important place the car occupies in our psyche. This contrasts with the paradox that bicycle mobility is now considered synonymous with progress and modernity in wealthy European countries. Despite the high car ownership rate in these countries, a large proportion of journeys, nationwide, are made on bicycles.

The only way forward is by prioritising improvement in public transport and the often over-looked solution of bicycle use for medium/short trips. Cycling has been called an access enhancer. Provided the distance is not great, the bicycle gets you where you want quickly and is more affordable than any other form of transport, it is accessible to all, rich or poor and, most important in Malta, it eliminates the parking problem. The bicycle is increasingly referred to as a ‘city safety valve’; more people cycling can help a great deal to alleviate the overload on transport networks while still moving people around efficiently. If things stay the same and cars continue to be added on our roads at the current rate, it is a safe bet that 21st century Malta will soon cease to function if nothing is done to provide decent public transport and opportunities for safe cycling and walking.

 

G. G. Debono

Sliema