As we close off the third week of the electoral campaign, both main political parties have now unveiled their manifestos.

The word “ambitious” would be an understatement to describe both sets of proposals. The PN and PL seem to be in a race to outdo each other in terms of the number of proposals being put forward, but when one takes a deep look at the respective manifestos one cannot ask how many of the proposals are recycled ones from previous elections, and how many of them are actually doable.

Once again, the two parties are promising a mass transport system – something which is badly needed in Malta.

The PN has come up with a proposal for a trackless tram that would cost less than half of what the metro, proposed by Labour, would cost.

Explaining the proposal this week, PN Leader Bernard Grech said the project would be completed within one legislature, whereas the metro was promised to be completed within 20 years, he said. The trackless tram will reach 48 localities, covering 173 kilometres.

Labour’s manifesto, on the other hand, proposes that works on its €6bn metro system would start “immediately” but only if studies find that it is feasible.

This is not the first time that the electorate has been presented with a mass transit system but, unfortunately, not much has been done to date. All that we have seen over the past few years are more road “upgrade” projects and weak attempts at shifting towards electric vehicles.

Meanwhile, Malta’s traffic problem continues to grow, and our roads become more congested, despite Ian Borg’s wider roads.

Malta needs and deserves a proper mass transit system to deal with the traffic proposal once and for all. The country is essentially one big metropolis and buses and cars cannot remain the only means of transport available.

The parties are constantly accusing each other of copying the other side’s proposals, but perhaps this would not be such a bad thing. If the PN’s proposal is the better one, then Labour, which is set for another electoral victory, should humble up and consider taking up the Opposition’s idea. At the end of the day, this is not about who gets the glory, who gets the praise for the idea … it’s about the country getting the better deal, both in terms of practicability and value for money.

Besides, an over-ground tram system would do away with the need for massive excavations projects, which would likely get bogged down with archaeological finds and other underground problems.

The five-year timeframe also sounds much better than Labour’s. Twenty years to complete a metro that was needed years ago is simply too long.

There are, of course many other proposals that merit going into, but we cannot go through all of them in this one editorial.

Both PN and PL are promising improved Cost of Living Adjustment Mechanisms. This is of particular importance because the rising inflation is one of the key issues of the campaign – one of the biggest concerns for the electorate – and things are getting worse. Once again, this is a proposal that has been bandied about in several general election campaigns, but the COLA mechanism today remains largely ineffective and government is only trying to supplement people’s disposable income by one-off money cheques.

It is imperative that a proper system that accounts for the constant increase in the price of foodstuffs, fuels and other essential items is put in place. This is now more necessary than ever, given that inflation is skyrocketing due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

Another important aspect of the manifestos is on the diversification of our economy. The Nationalist Party has been consistent on this subject and is, in fact, proposing to create 10 new economic sectors. The Labour Party, on the other hand, is focusing on existing ones, ignoring the advice of many an economist who has warned that Malta must diversify its income sources. Labour, it seems, wants to remain reliant on the citizenship scheme, even if everything points to its eventual end.

The environment is also big on both parties’ agendas, and this comes as no surprise. We are accustomed to seeing a myriad of proposals promising more open spaces and green areas. But progress in this field has been slow. Yes, we have seen a couple of projects here and there, but these are simply not enough. We hope that whichever party wins the election takes this pledge seriously and that the environment truly becomes a priority.