In a statement, Alternattiva Demokratika said that Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett has just announced another 'reform' of the public transport system.
AD said the number of so-called 'reforms' have been so frequent in the past 18 years of government that losing track of them is easy, even more so when the past reforms have basically confirmed the status quo and led to nothing concrete for end-users.
AD spokesman for transport Mark Scerri said "What have we had in the last decade or two? Promises, some cosmetic changes, a few new buses thrown in for good measure, and more promises. Everybody is holding his breath expecting to hear what this so-called 'new' reform in public transport consists of."
"In Malta there is no political will to take the bull by the horns and offer the people of this small island a viable transportation system. Even a simple thing such as an automatic ticketing system was a failure,” he said.
He continued: “Time and again we hear the excuse that people do not use buses enough and hence the need to ‘rationalise’, ‘scale-down’, ‘reduce’; in other words doing the opposite of what needs to be done. A good, efficient system offering a variety of options to commuters must be put in place and invested in.”
Mr Scerri said: “First people need to see and experience a system which really works before they start using it regularly. It is silly and short sighted to expect people to use a failed system before deciding to do something about it.”
Chairman Harry Vassallo said: "AD believes that Malta and Gozo need a truly national public transport service. Like most localities in Europe, public authorities must take responsibility for providing public transport. The advantages of an efficient system are countless: less traffic congestion, better use of public spaces in villages and towns, less fuel consumption and hence less pollution, to name but a few.”
He continued: “Most European cities make use of buses running on natural gas, a much cleaner option then our diesel buses. An automatic bus ticketing system with reasonable prices for block tickets (the more you buy the cheaper the ticket) is a must. Scheduled transport should be liberalised, allowing other companies to run transport services as they see fit, with a national service awarded by tender to render an affordable, efficient public service on underserved, low volume routes."
Dr Vassallo also said: "A reform of the taxi licensing system is also long overdue. These should provide a service to those who need to get somewhere quick and to areas not easily reached by other public transport vehicles. The high prices for taxis boils down to one reason: the licensing system for taxis.”
He continued: “The current monopoly seems to be another area where government does not dare thread. This is also an issue of fair trade. AD proposes that taxi licenses should be liberalised with immediate effect. There is no good reason whatsoever to keep the current unfair system."
AD also proposed regular, frequent and efficient ferry services from Sliema to Valletta and Cottonera, reducing traffic pressure in the inner harbour area. Other systems such as trams should also be considered, especially for wide arterial roads. An underground metro system should also start being considered.