A Legal Notice that will regulate horses and horse-drawn carriages on Maltese roads will be published in about two weeks’ time, Transport Minister Joe Mizzi said this evening. Addressing a public consultation meeting in the Gvern li Jisma series, Mr Mizzi said the legal notice was drawn up after meeting were held with all stakeholders however he did not give any further detail.

A karozzin driver and his horse were injured later on today in the latest of a series of horse-related traffic accidents.

Turning to public transport, Mr Mizzi said he was satisfied with the take up of the card system, which showed that the public’s mentality was changing. Over 100,000 cards have been issued so far. He spoke about the latest developments in the public transport system, including the upgrades to the system in Gozo. The Gozo bus fleet has been increased from 10 to 14 and bus stops have increased by 34 for a total of 335. There will also be changes or extensions to six existing route and the frequency of eight of the routes will be increased. Replying to questions, Mr Mizzi said no decision has been taken yet about the possible removal of the Valletta terminus kiosks. “I have my own opinions but we are considering all options,” Mr Mizzi said.

He also referred to the current lack of buses, noting that vehicles on a number of routes were almost always full. “The public transport company assured me that this problem will be solved once the new buses arrive.” The public transport fleet is set to expand by 142. The new buses are currently being built by Turkish firm Otokar and the first batch of 40 is expected to be delivered next month.

Mr Mizzi said a number of major projects, including Fort St Elmo and the new Parliament, have been completed. Most of the National Flood Relief project has also been completed. The government had also embarked on a number of embellishment projects, including the Castille Square revamp and the renovation works in Straight Street. Works are ongoing on 72 rural roads. These projects are financed by the EU. The Coast Road project is also on track and will be completed by the end of this year. The Kappara Junction project will be next on the list and the tender process is at an advanced stage, Mr Mizzi said. The government had also announced the major overhaul project for the Addolorata junction in Paola. The project will see the construction of a flyover and the removal of traffic lights, ensuring a continuous traffic flow.

Replying to questions about the state of some roads, Mr Mizzi explained that only 200km of roads fell under the responsibility of Transport Malta, which also had a limited budget. The government, he said, was doing whatever it could wherever it could. He explained that major roadwork project projects inevitably lead to traffic congestion in some areas and insisted that one of the ways in which the government was trying to deal with this problem was to encourage more people to use public transport.