Despite government announcing a number of measures to curb traffic in the country, it does not have an effective long-term plan, the PN said on Thursday.
PN MPs Mark Anthony Sammut and David Agius addressed a press conference in Msida Valley about Malta's traffic problem, they themselves being late due to traffic in the area.
Sammut said that last Saturday, Transport Minister Chris Bonett announced a number of measures which government said would address the traffic problem, but it did not say what the targets and aims are, on how these measures will effectively reduce traffic in Malta's roads.
"One would have expected that government conducted a study, telling us, for example, that the aim is to have 2,000 cars off the road, or 1,000 youths who delay obtaining their license. We have heard none of this," Sammut said.
He said that government is not addressing the problem at its core, and "grabbed the problem by the leg."
Sammut said government should have announced alternative modes of transport first, such as mass transport, which "the country is begging for."
He said that government boasted about the metro plans before the elections, which ended up costing €2 million just to present it, and now, government says this is not a priority.
Sammut added that if the metro is not the solution, government should have an alternative solution.
"If you want to encourage people to ditch their cars and use motorcycles, bicycles, without having the infrastructure for them. You need to prepare the infrastructure first for people to make that change," he said.
Sammut said government also needs to make plans to address road accidents and fatalities.
He said that the PN agrees with some of the measures government has announced, as they were PN proposals it had long-before itself announced. Some of these are the cargo ship towards Gozo, which Sammut said used to exist and this government had stopped, the National Walking Strategy, the National Cycling Strategy - which should already have been implemented but is still undergoing consultation.
"We need to make a leap in quality there. A PN proposal was for 10% of journeys to be made by bicycle, along with other measures which reassure cyclists," Sammut said.
Another government proposal the PN agrees with is for waste collection to be done off peak hours, which Sammut said the PN had proposed nine years ago, and "finally, government is onboard."
He said that the PN certainly does not agree with the way the Minister has been increasing expenditure to Transport Malta and allegedly granting promotions which are not merited.
Sammut said that government is also turning its back on classic car enthusiasts.
He said that the PN will be organising a public dialogue next Sunday on traffic, where it will invite stakeholders in the sector, including citizens who use cars or public transport, to share their thoughts, and the PN will take note to truly reduce the traffic problem in the country, under a PN government.
Agius said that government failed to communicate with classic or vintage car enthusiasts, and many people have spoken to the PN saying this was "vindication from the government towards these enthusiasts, by raising the years by which a car can be registered as vintage from 30 to 35 years."
"The PN does not agree with this, and under a PN government, it would be reversed. It is not positive as those who have a vintage car can only use it for 3,000km per year. More cars would be introduced on the roads this way," Agius said.
He also said that government is not being transparent on the motorsports track, and he has asked government to table all documents related to the project, but said it has failed to do so as of yet.
"We promise that the PN will be the voice of motorsports enthusiasts," Agius said.
He added that cycling and walking must be given the importance they deserve and said that the current infrastructure for cycling is dangerous.
"There's a lot of traffic as there is no traffic management plan. The PN will provide the solutions to the people in government," Agius said.