Ten days ago I attended the meeting for Gozitan local councillors organised by the Association of Local Councillors. I believe that although only a limited number of the total Gozitan councillors attended, it was a meeting worth going to, with the major topic on the agenda being the concept of sustainability on the island region of Gozo.

Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono addressed the meeting together with Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said. Two totally different styles, whereby Minister Debono is always harping on the concept of Gozo as an eco-island and on what she intends doing in the future. The eco-island idea was introduced to the Maltese and Gozitans by Alternattiva Demokratika over two years ago and therefore, it stands to reason that AD cannot but fully support the transformation of Gozo into a veritable eco-island. Unfortunately, Minister Debono is always insisting on what will be done, and very little on what has been done.

On the other hand, Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said is, in my modest opinion, much more concrete: he speaks less, he appears less but when he talks he talks substance, concentrating more on what has been done rather than on what he is expecting to do in the future. A political style that is certainly much more to my liking.

The guest of honour at the meeting was Rolf Harlinghausen from the EU Committee of Regions. Mr Harlinghausen comes from Germany, precisely from Hamburg, which has been included among the eight foremost cities in the EU with regards to improvements as regards the quality of life in the city, linked to sustainable measures.

The guest from Hamburg listed a number of measures which the city took in order to decrease CO2 and other noxious emissions. Two measures in particular aroused my attention. The first is the re-conversion of all public transport in Hamburg to hydrogen driven vehicles. The second is the sharp reduction of shipping emissions in the city (Hamburg is the home to one of the biggest ports in Europe). I believe that these two measures are of extreme interest to Gozo if we really want to transform it into an eco-island.

Everybody visiting Gozo knows that the public transport system in Gozo is practically non-existent. The only route that can be called decent is the Harbour-Victoria route. As for the rest, the bus drivers/owners have a field day. If they want to operate, they do; if they don’t feel like to, they don’t. When they want to skip a trip or two they do so. When they want to work privately they just close down their “public” bus service for the day. After 11 in the morning in winter it is practically impossible to find any bus operating from the various villages. As a consequence, each family in Gozo has a minimum of two cars, thus increasing the amount of pollution (apart from the expenses) on the isle of Calypso.

Austin Gatt has promised a drastic reform of the public transport system. And he is starting with Gozo, he said. Great. If he really wants to leave his mark, he has to ensure that he follows Hamburg’s example: therefore the new fleet of buses and minibuses in Gozo is to run on hydrogen, on electricity and on methane gas. That would be a real reform. Anything else is humbug... not Hamburg!

Transport by sea can also contribute to a clean eco-Gozo. Last year the Gozo Channel monopoly had to end. This year the government is forced to issue an international tender for the running of the Mgarr-Cirkewwa service. Is the tender providing for measures which reduce emissions in the ferry service? Moreover will the tender be asking to provide more inter island freight transport. We need to get as many heavy vehicles off Maltese roads. They pollute like hell and they destroy Malta’s already fragile roads.

Freight carrying sea trips betwen Mgarr and Sa Maison already exist. Will the new tender demand that a new sea freight service between Birzebbuga Freeport and Mgarr be set up?

This would alleviate Maltese roads of hundreds of heavy trucks and lorries plying the roads from Birzebbuga to Cirkewwa. What is more, there is financing to be got from the EU for the implementing of such measures. On 10 February applications were out for the Marco Polo project which provides funds for short sea shipping, i.e. for the transferring of freight transport from roads onto sea.

Is there anybody going for a real eco-Gozo concept?

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www.arnoldcassola.wordpress.com

Arnold Cassola is Chairperson of Alternattiva Demokratika

The Green Party