The final plan of the Blata-il-Bajda Park and Ride scheme, announced in the recent ministerial press conference, contained at least two major changes from the original format, Friends of the Earth (Malta) pointed out.

First, Floriana has been excluded from the scheme and parking is to be allowed at the Central Bank and the Stock Exchange, at Ta’ Liesse-Customs House, and the Excelsior-Mattia Preti Square area. These concessions will allow significant numbers of private vehicles to use St Anne’s Street. The hopes of improving air quality in that area may come to little or nothing.

Second, normal diesel buses will be used in the shuttle bus service between the Blata il-Bajda Park and Valletta, which, almost as an afterthought, Minister Mugliett said, might use biodiesel “as an energy saving device”.

Aside from the fact that locally produced biodiesel saves on fuel imports and not energy, the use of diesel as against electric buses is a step backwards. Emissions from the buses will have an adverse effect on Valletta’s air quality, the severity depending on the route/s into Valletta.

The diesel /biodiesel mix used may not be that crucial from an emissions point of view, as biodiesel is not significantly better than diesel; its chief advantage is that it makes excellent use of waste material.