In the three years since the Labour Party’s election victory back in 2017, we have been working without fail on fulfilling one of the central promises of our electoral campaign – the upgrading and rejuvenating of Malta’s entire infrastructure network.

Our nation’s infrastructure had been ignored for decades, with the exception of a few half-hearted isolated attempts to tackle a sector that requires a government with strong leadership, and a clear, uninterrupted vision of where our country is headed.

Fortunately for us all, this government has all these necessary criteria. In the time that I have been entrusted with the responsibility for this sector, we have already made vast improvements to our transport network. We have launched and completed countless infrastructural projects targeting major junctions, rural areas, and residential roads, and many more are already in progress, or are scheduled to begin in the coming months.

However, even though this is already more than others have managed to do in decades, for us it is not enough. Although we were elected by the current generation of Maltese citizens, we are acutely aware that we have a responsibility to keep an eye on future generations as well. These generations may not exist yet, but their happiness and prosperity will depend on the decisions which are taken by us at this very moment in time.

For that reason, I have taken care to ensure that our infrastructural projects do not merely make our roads safer and more comfortable for drivers, but also encourage cleaner, and more environmentally-friendly modes of travel so as to promote a more sustainable future for us all. The creation of safer spaces for alternative modes of travel is already one of the main objectives of arterial road projects such as the Central Link Project, the Marsa Junction Project and other similar large-scale investments, but we are also implementing several separate initiatives that are specifically focused on encouraging a shift in the way we travel.

In Hal-Luqa alone, for instance, the government has invested €2.3 million to design and build an innovative bridge providing a segregated crossing over the five-lane L-Avjazzjoni Avenue. The construction of this footbridge will be completed this summer, and will incorporate ramps and lifts to facilitate safe pedestrian, public transport and cycling commutes in this area, with direct connections to the avenue’s bus stops, footpaths and cycle lanes.

Similarly, we will soon be opening another 105-metre footbridge at Blata l-Bajda that will provide a safer option for pedestrians and cyclists instead of the current pelican light system, and will create a direct link between all the bus stops to make life easier for those travelling by bus. Meanwhile, Infrastructure Malta is also starting the construction of a new footbridge in Paola, so as to provide safer walking and cycling routes to students at MCAST, and to the residents of the area.

Our approach, as one can see, is a holistic one. We realise that a change in mentality can never come about by merely adding a footbridge or cycle lane every so often without any overarching vision. It is for that reason that we are not just implementing these initiatives in a few isolated locations around the country but all over our islands, wherever there is the need for them, so as to truly encourage a shift towards a more sustainable future.

In the meantime we are also renovating and rejuvenating what existing infrastructure there is, such as in the case of the subway at the Portes des Bombes area of Floriana which connects four of the most important bus stops of our public transport network. The existing structure consists of a mere, narrow pedestrian underpass with long, steep ramps, blind corners, and uncovered stairways that are not suitable for persons with mobility difficulties. In fact, it is wholly inadequate for its purpose which is why so many people end up attempting to cross the six-lane arterial road above, proving a danger both to themselves and to others.

Soon, however, we will be putting in place a new, improved subway system that will have a 12-metre wide, naturally-lit walkway, public toilets, an open space that can be used as a café for passengers, and even a bicycle parking area. This project will eliminate the limitations of the existing links between the four bus stops, with pathways, stairs and elevators which will be accessible to all, making life easier and safer for all those passengers commuting by public transport.

Moreover, in addition to all these initiatives through which we are introducing safer facilities to encourage cleaner modes of travel, we have also been working to ensure that Malta’s future will be greener than ever before. After all, while an efficient national infrastructure is a must for any modern country, this does not mean that our natural environment should be ignored in our pursuit of this goal.

With this in mind, we have launched a nationwide tree-planting programme which in 2019 alone resulted in the addition of 8,719 indigenous trees to the Maltese landscape. This year, we have pressed on with this initiative, and have already planted more than 8,000 trees in the first five months of 2020, for a total of 16,000 new trees around Malta and Gozo.

Of course, these new trees will require care and attention for several years, until they are fully established in their environment, and so, we have also contracted the necessary services to ensure that these trees, along with the indigenous shrubs that we have also introduced into our environment, will be watered and taken care of for years to come.

At the end of the day, our country’s future direction lies in our own hands. The decisions we take now will not just impact us, but will also effect generations to come. Some might argue that we can either have progress or sustainability, but this government is adamant that it will fight to achieve both. Ultimately, by introducing facilities within Malta’s infrastructure network that will encourage the adoption of alternative, cleaner methods of transportation while simultaneously increasing our islands’ green spaces, we are paving the way for a greener, more sustainable future for both us, and our children to benefit from and enjoy.