The Nationalist Party praised a pilot project started in Gozo which will see an autonomous bus operating in the streets of San Lawrenz and Gharb, saying that this is the type of innovation that Malta should be exploring.
“The pilot project involving Malta’s first autonomous bus, which is currently being tested in San Lawrenz, Gozo, is an interesting and positive step towards a more modern, intelligent and sustainable public transport system,” the PN said in a statement on Wednesday.
This initiative, being carried out by Malta Public Transport in collaboration with the University of Malta and the Ministry for Sustainable Mobility as part of the European metaCCAZE project, demonstrates how research and innovation can be used to address practical problems in everyday life.
The vehicle is fully electric and uses technologies such as LiDAR, cameras, GPS and artificial intelligence to interpret its surroundings and travel along a predetermined route. During this pilot phase, a trained operator will also remain on board for safety reasons.
“This is precisely the type of innovation Malta should be exploring,” the PN said.
The party said that in a small country facing ever-increasing pressure on its roads and public transport system, technology must be used to make services more efficient, frequent and reliable. At the same time, it can help us increase productivity instead of addressing every labour shortage simply by expanding the workforce, the party added.
“Automation is not a substitute for workers. Rather, it should be a tool that enables us to deploy workers where their contribution is needed most, while allowing technology to assume a greater role wherever this can be done safely and efficiently,” the PN continued.
The party said that this vision is also consistent with the direction that it is proposing: a modern, integrated mobility system that makes effective use of technology, ranging from new mass-transit systems to digital integration and training in new mobility skills. The PN’s proposals also include investment in developing Maltese workers’ skills in transport technologies, among other areas, to reduce Malta’s long-term dependence on foreign expertise, the party added.
“However, this project should be the beginning, not an isolated experiment,” the PN said.
“We should examine how such technologies could eventually be used for feeder services, short routes, park-and-ride facilities, mobility hubs, campuses, hospitals and localities where a traditional full-sized bus service may not always be the most efficient option,” it added.
The PN said that it therefore supports this initiative and recognises the work of all the entities involved.
“If we want to reduce traffic, we must provide people with better alternatives. And if we want better alternatives, we must be prepared to use tomorrow’s technology today,” the party said.
The statement was signed by PN MPs Ivan Castille and George Vital Zammit, who are the Shadow Minister for Sustainable Mobility and Spokesperson for Research and Innovation respectively.