New plans for a metro which the government is working on will see the mass transport system be “hybrid” in nature – meaning that part will be below ground and part above, Prime Minister Robert Abela told journalists on Wednesday.

He also said that the cost of the massive project, with the new changes implemented, had been revised from €6 billion down to €2.8 billion – a figure which Abela said was still “massive.”

The Prime Minister was asked about comments made by Finance Minister Clyde Caruana about the proposed mass transport system. In a pre-budget business breakfast on Tuesday, Caruana poured cold water on plans for a metro or tram network, warning that Malta could be "royally screwed" if such a massive capital project went wrong.

"I'm the only person who has voiced scepticism over mass transport proposals," Caruana said, stressing that projects of this scale typically suffer from cost overruns and would need to span multiple legislatures. "As a finance minister, I can't keep a straight face in public and say this won't affect our finances," he added.

He also questioned whether enough people would give up their cars to make the system viable. "If we get it wrong, we're royally screwed," he warned, while ruling out measures such as new taxes or paid street parking to discourage car use - describing such policies as "political suicide."

But Abela said that Caruana was simply appealing for “prudence” in how the government spends its money.

“Prudence and responsibility are the cornerstones of every project that this government does and every decision we take,” Abela said.

He said that the government is currently studying the different forms that the project can take together with international experts Arup. 

The initially planned system, he said, would have set the country back €6 billion – but a new revised system with different routes which is being worked on would cost €2.8 billion, which Abela said is still “massive” and which he said also includes certain overruns which need to be accounted for.

“The Finance Minister appealed for prudence, and that’s the direction we are moving towards,” Abela said, noting that the Finance Minister by nature must speak cautiously otherwise he would not be responsible.

“We also need to understand that this country needs to build a transport system for its future,” Abela said.  He said that a number of short-term measures are in place on transport, but a long-term vision is also needed, adding that with prudence and with details studies on the project’s viability, the best long-term decision can then be taken.

“We never give up on difficult projects.  This is a difficult project to do, but we have shown that when we have been focused we always got there,” Abela said.

Asked about the changes made to the project, Abela said that it is no longer planned to be fully underground – hence the “hybrid” terminology used.

He said that there would be parts of it underground, other parts at street level, and other parts which run above street level over undeveloped land.  He excluded running a metro line above people’s properties.

“We need to speak about a lot of things and viability is one of them – it’s useless getting to the crossroad with a project that you are blind to the details of because doing so would put the country in the situation the Finance Minister mentioned. But if we do things with prudence this can be a project to define the country, and we can do it,” Abela said.