This week that celebrates European Mobility Week aims to help improve people’s health and quality of life by promoting healthier forms of transport and which culminated all over Europe in a car-free day yesterday.

Everywhere, that is, except Malta, where the only event consisted of Transport Minister Jesmond Mugliett visiting the Park & Ride site and watching children doing what was called a proficiency test.

Any local initiatives however, are bound to lose credibility given the public perception that far from decreasing, vehicle emissions are on the rise NGO Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) said.

It claimed it repeatedly contacted the ADT, enquiring what measures are being taken to remedy the situation, but to date no answers have been given. As a result, it has no choice but to voice these questions publicly:

“Some time ago the ADT launched its ‘reporting of vehicle emissions’ campaign; although many felt that the public was reduced to snitching on each other, many reluctantly cooperated for the sake of improving our air quality. In fact there was a marked decrease in the number of offending vehicles as soon as the campaign was launched.

“However, we have noticed and also received many reports that the level of vehicle emissions is rising again. Apparently the number of SMS reports has decreased somewhat, most probably due to public response fatigue, ie. people forget, and also give up hope of seeing the situation improve. This is understandable given that one never actually sees vehicles being pulled up for exhaust tests, especially trucks and buses that seem to have remained unaffected by the regulations.

FAA therefore asks:

• Whether the ADT has any intention of launching a ‘reminder campaign’ to reinvigorate public response?

• How many on-site kerbside checks are being carried out on a monthly/yearly basis?

• What steps are being taken to rectify the situation re commercial vehicles?

• What is the role of the police/wardens on this issue?

• What is the percentage of fines being issued for excessive emissions in relation to parking tickets?

• What steps are being taken to stamp out this problem at source (it can easily be observed that certain makes of cars are by far the worst offenders. Is this related to the importation of second-hand cars from the Far East, and what regulations are in force/planned to resolve this problem before it hits our roads, not after?)

• Given that Malta will have to reduce its CO2 emissions from transport from 2012 and that the diesel consumption of SUVs and large cars actually exceeds consumption by industry in Malta, what measures are being planned by ADT to encourage the use of public transport, cycling, car-pooling and low-emission vehicles?

Further to the above, FAA is receiving reports on increased traffic and therefore increased emissions in Sliema, while Valletta residents are saying that the new Valletta entry traffic regulations are actually causing an increase in traffic into Valletta as now all drivers can enter Valletta on a quick errand.

Moreover, car spaces previously occupied by eight-hour employee parking now have a far higher turnover of short-stay cars. Members of the public requesting proper traffic and air quality monitoring to assess the situation, are being bounced back and forth between MEPA and ADT. What needs to be done in order to have such testing carried out?

Almost in reply, the Malta Transport Authority reported it had received 121,831 SMSs in the two years of the Emission Alert Campaign, Urban Minister Jesmond Mugliett said yesterday.

To date no fewer than 3,254 vehicles have been called up for testing. Over 2,000 vehicles have actually taken the Vehicular Emission Test. The 913 remaining vehicles have been issued with a road licence restriction, which means that a road licence will not be issued unless they take the emission test.