The authorities can see that the traffic problems in the country are not reducing, despite all the flyovers and road widening projects they have undertaken, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar coordinator Astrid Vella told The Malta Independent.
Vella, during an interview with this newsroom, was asked about the Msida junction proposal that had been published by the Chamber of Architects.
She described it as a "very much-needed proposal for the area. As we know, it is one of the most polluted areas, and at the moment trees are our only means of reducing pollution. This area already has a social tradition of being a meeting place for various groups of people, including Msida residents, people practising sports, Yoga and other activities and this would be a green space in such a congested area".
"It would also be a win-win situation as the traffic problems we are facing are not being solved by the outdated means that Infrastructure Malta has been adopting. It is mind-boggling how they have spent the last years going against the proven European model, increasing road arteries without reassessing their approach, given that the problems are not being solved. They can see that traffic problems are not reducing, in spite of all the flyovers and widening of roads, because the more roads you provide and widen, the more traffic increases. They refuse to think outside the box, bringing in a number of different measures and especially enhancing public transport. Now, it has been seen that making public transport free has not solved the problem, so we need to encourage alternatives and really improve public transport."
She spoke about car emissions and the health issues they cause. "If the government is serious about its claim of ‘meeting the needs of the population’, what is more needed than a healthy population?" She mentioned FAA’s Environment Charter signed by a number of constituted bodies, and local councils, "to have a right to enjoy a healthy environment. Reducing air pollution is the first priority".
Given that Msida is already a traffic hotspot and links a number of Malta's major towns and cities together – including Valletta, Floriana, Birkirkara, Msida leading to Gzira and Sliema, she was asked whether the priority in this area should be to ensure a quicker flow of traffic.
"Speed of traffic needs to be achieved with public health in mind, and there are various ways of doing that. The Chamber of Architects is proposing to get traffic to flow smoothly via the ‘skateboard roundabout’ and by making public transport much more efficient, decreasing the dependence on individual vehicles. We have to move on from the mentality that traffic should pass directly through the heart of residential areas and that individual cars are virtually the only way to get from one point to another. What is needed at Msida and the rest of Malta is not more speed and roads, but more health-giving trees and quality of life.”
The first part of the interview was published in The Malta Independent on Sunday