Over the past few months, alarm bells were sounded that we have a little cockroach problem on our public transport system. I initially hesitated in bringing it up, lest it discourage people from using buses. The trouble is that if nobody talks about a problem, it inevitably grows. Many people came forward claiming to have e-mailed and called Transport Malta about the problem before it went public, only to be ignored or to receive vague assurances.

I eventually sent an e-mail to Minister Ian Borg, who is responsible not only for the Planning Authority but also for Transport Malta to ensure that the problem was dealt with. I was glad to receive his assurance that the problem would be dealt with, and shortly after Transport Malta embarked on a fumigation exercise. However, by the end of January more evidence was shared by the public showing the problem persisted. To be fair, I have not come across any more roaches since then. The moral of the story here is that this administration often seems to deal with problems as they arise in a rather blunt fashion, without making the effort to plan ahead and prevent problems from happening in the first place. This same ministry is ordering the widening of roads and the bulldozing of resistance to accommodate the 30+ new cars on our roads every day. However, widening roads is a very short-term solution at best.

In fact, Minister Borg has just informed us that Metro Malta has been registered, some years since it was a Forza Nazzjonali manifesto proposal. Could we have saved time on that, and did it really require a few chaotic years to force us to the point where we are reluctantly considering a metro anyway? What of the Gozo Tunnel? Its greatest flaw is that Gozitan workers will be stuck in Maltese traffic immediately. A few minutes saved from the ferry just pushes the gridlock elsewhere.

The problem truly is a lack of pre-planning or holistic vision. Malta should be 10 steps ahead of everyone else due to its small size, which should make it easier to implement innovative projects. It is time that we cleaned up our act and started planning with a National Masterplan on the table, as Partit Demokratiku has been advocating in Parliament for years. That way, we will not be dealing with problems using improvised solutions as they arise. We need to plan for the long term and look ahead. Right now, roach coaches, widened roads and a Gozo tunnel designed for car usage are all symptoms of a deeper problem. They signal a lack of proper planning.

 

Timothy Alden is the Deputy Leader of Partit Demokratiku