As with all things in life, there are usually two extremes or sides to a coin. The middle way is usually non-existent or extremely difficult to find as it usually involves impressive balancing acts that only well-trained and experienced acrobats can indulge in.
With regard to the traffic situation in Malta, the balancing act is a far-fetched reality as we are faced with two contrasting situations.
We currently have a small racing track at Ħal-Far, where drivers drive their cars at break-neck speeds, as they show off their modified vehicles and skills alike. Added to this, we also have make-shift tracks such as the ill-fated one at Ħal-Farruġ, where dozens of people were mown down and badly hurt after a Porsche Spyder belonging to a British millionaire crashed into a crowd of spectators at the Paqpaqli għall-Istrina motor show charity event held two weeks ago.
This accident has revealed that not all the necessary accident prevention measures were taken. The lessons from the Ħal-Farruġ incident are clear and film footage shows there were no metal or concrete barriers and/or tyres to prevent a car veering off the track. We cannot afford to be amateurish in situations where health and safety should come first.
The love of speed and enthusiasm for motoring in general in Malta perhaps speaks of the need for the construction of a large professional racing track that could potentially bring under one roof the different aspects of motoring such as the ever-increasing number of enthusiasts in vintage and classic cars and other types of vehicle shows and also in the organisation of motor cycle events (drag racing, hill climbs and others).
This project would add value to our economy as well as assist in the organising of fund-raising events in a safe and professional manner. Obviously, the environmental implications of such a project cannot be overlooked.
At the other extreme, we have the slow-moving tedious and frustrating morning traffic, which is now slowly but surely becoming a permanent fixture throughout most of the day. Further exacerbating these challenges is the public transport system, which no government has yet been able to address to make more efficient and effective.
Not only has the Ħal-Farrug accident taught us life-long lessons but we can also derive lessons from our slow-moving, snail-paced traffic. We should take on board the lessons from other countries that have already gone through this predicament.
Building flyovers and bridges, widening arterial roads and providing additional parking and car parks are only short-term solutions. Long-term solutions also need to be explored and put in motion such as the concept of creating incentives for car clubs or car-sharing/pooling - initiatives that do not seem very popular in Malta at present.
Given our narrow streets and the density of our population, we need to seriously invest in smaller vehicles and give more incentives to those who buy such cars.
Surely, someone must have heard of GM's next-generation electric EN-V personal transportation vehicle. This networked vehicle is a two-seater electric vehicle capable of communicating with other vehicles and can be driven either automatically or manually. GM designed this concept for congested megacities of the future. Indeed, Malta is literally becoming one megacity, with traffic problems overlapping from one town or village to another. The idea behind networked vehicles is to help ease parking, traffic, and pollution in dense urban environments.
To illustrate the need for such cars in Malta, the government - in partnership with the private sector - could organise a pilot programme to test these cars in the local environment.
Another innovative concept in the car market is the folding car. The MIT folding Citycar concept was adopted by the Hiriko consortium, the Spanish led inter-firm group responsible for manufacturing the first Spanish electric vehicle announced in May 2013.
When parked, this car folds up to about half the size of a Smart car or about a third of a standard size car to get commuters the last few miles home.
The Hiriko folding EV has been spotted on the streets of Europe, which generated quite a bit of excitement for the folding electric concept car - a space-saving, earth-friendly, superhero city transporter.
It was designed by Boston's MIT-Media lab and developed/manufactured in Spain. Not only does the EV have a unique design, but it is being sold as part of a complete package for improved city/urban car transportation. Initially, it is being marketed as the main component of an improved version of city-owned bike/scooter/car-sharing fleets.
Designed as an urban/city electric commuter car that literally uses as small a footprint as possible, thus reducing urban stress and congestion, the electric Hiriko fold-up car was to have been deployed in select cities starting in 2013 for about €12,500. The cities of: Berlin, Barcelona, Malmo, San Francisco, Florianópolis, Urdaibai and Victoria, Hong Kong had expressed interest in making the EVs part of a city-owned mass mobility project, not unlike the multitude of city-owned bicycle projects currently in use worldwide. Other Hiriko target cities for possible deployment were: Paris, London, Boston, Dubai and Brussels. Sadly, it was announced in May 2013 that commercial production of the vehicle would not continue without additional funding and only 20 pre-production demonstration vehicles were manufactured.
Traffic congestion in Malta will continue to worsen for at least the next few decades as our population and economy grow in size. But this should not be regarded as a mark of social failure or misguided policies. The failure lies in doing practically nothing as we just sit by and continue monotonously driving in long, endless queues but, even worse, is the implementation of policies that do not result in any improvement in the long-run.
Anthony Zarb Dimech
Birkirkara