Mass public transport was not mentioned in Budget 2026 because it is still at the planning stage, Transport Minister Chris Bonett said on Friday while responding to questions from the media. He remarked that people will eventually hear “much more” about mass transport in upcoming budgets once the necessary discussions have taken place.

He referred to Malta Vision 2050, and said that the first version of a mass transport plan will be revealed by the end of the year, adding that “things are done according to their timeline.”

Responding to a question from journalists regarding how Finance Minister Clyde Caruana has said that punitive measures would be needed for a mass transport system to be viable, and whether the Transport Minister agrees with that assessment, Bonett replied that he has always made the argument that one must give incentives to convince people not to use their cars. He added that the Finance Minister is being consistent with that, as such incentives were announced in the budget.

Bonett said that he has heard suggestions to raise the price of fuels and licences, but stated that the reason why he does not agree with such suggestions is that enacting them without providing an alternative would simply mean enacting a new tax. He said that he could agree with Caruana after there is an alternative.

“Eventually, if there is a mass transport system, then the government needs to consider how to convince people to use that transport by, yes, enacting measures that discourage them from using their car,” Bonett said.

He commented that “we need to work together” if one truly wants to do a service to the people and sort out the issue of mass transport. He said that once the plan is finalised, the government will discuss it with the Nationalist Party. “The time has come for this discussion to stop being a political ball… The people want someone to offer them solutions, and a solution should be an integrated mass transport system,” he remarked, adding that such a system should unite bicycles, vehicles, sea travel, the fast system, and Tallinja in one mosaic.

Bonett remarked that the 2021 metro was “a good idea”, but continued that the problem with it was that when the studies were carried out, it became understood that the country could not afford it. He said that following this, the government went to the firm Arup with the project and explained the problems that were encountered, and asked if a system could be established which would be cheaper but could still serve the purpose of the metro.

“We are talking about one of the country’s biggest infrastructural projects. These are not things that you come up with on the spot, it does not work that way… The plan needs to be seriously considered,” Bonett said, adding that the plan is now at a point where it is being finalised.

He said that the government is also studying the cost of not doing anything, as he said that he believes not doing anything is not an option. The Transport Minister said that not doing anything would eventually have a serious impact on Malta’s economy, and so the government is obligated to take a step and see what best applies.

“The Opposition needs to be onboard. We need to do this together,” Bonett said. He stated that the transport project will take a number of legislatures to be completed, and continued that it is therefore a reality that there has to be a process in which everyone is involved. “The biggest irresponsibility would be to begin the project and stop it during the process,” he said.

Bonett was asked whether it is likely that the Msida project may face the same issues as the Kappara flyover project with regard to traffic jams still being an issue even after the project’s completion.

In response, he questioned what would have happened if the Kappara flyover project had not been done, as he said that the area was dangerous, and that the project has improved the situation in the area. With that said, he commented that more still needs to be done as the population and number of vehicles has increased.

Bonett said that it cannot be that the establishing of flyovers is criticised when, at the same time, a mass transport system is also criticised. "The concept is that if we do not establish a mass transport system, then there will be more flyovers. This is logical." He continued that he believes the only way to convince people not to use their cars is by providing them a way to go somewhere faster than and as comfortably as they would with their vehicle.