The Nationalist Party has said that it is extending “a hand of cooperation” to the government so that they can tackle the country’s “traffic scourge” together, by proposing the establishment of a Parliamentary Select Committee on this topic.

“Traffic is a national problem that affects everyone living in Malta. The PN is extending a hand of cooperation and pledging its full cooperation to the Government so that, together and with the participation of society, we can work on solutions that improve people’s quality of life,” the party said in a statement on Thursday afternoon.

The PN said that it is also proposing the the establishment of a Parliamentary Select Committee on Traffic Reduction and Sustainable Mobility in order to give a practical structure to Opposition Leader Alex Borg’s call for the Government and the Opposition to work together on this challenge.

“Traffic affects the time we spend with our families, our journeys to work and school, and the operation of businesses. Everyone has an interest in seeing the situation improve. We therefore need to bring together, around the same table, the knowledge, experience and willingness that exist across the country,” the PN said.

The party’s proposal is for the Committee to be made up of three Government members and three Opposition members, with the Speaker serving as Chair, with the Committee being established through a joint Motion approved by Parliament. Its members would include the Minister and the Shadow Minister responsible for Sustainable Mobility. Experts and stakeholders would contribute through advice and testimony, the PN said.

The PN said that Parliament already has procedures in place for this type of work and that these allow the House to appoint a select committee to investigate a particular subject and also provide for the participation of the Speaker.

The rules provide for the appointment and operation of such committees, the hearing of witnesses, the production of documents and reporting back to the House. The specific composition and terms of reference would be established in the Motion setting up the Committee.

“There are also precedents where such work has delivered concrete results. The Select Committee on the Recodification and Consolidation of Laws presented draft legislation concerning justice in Gozo and administrative law. The Select Committee on Black Dust was established in 2010. The Select Committee on Strengthening Democracy was unanimously approved on 16 July 2008. These examples show how parliamentary discussion can lead to concrete proposals through cooperation between both sides,” the PN said.

It said that the proposed Committee would hear from authorities, independent experts, local councils, transport operators, workers and businesses. Passengers, persons with disabilities and members of the public would also have the opportunity to put forward their experiences and proposals.

“Both sides would have access to the same data on journey times, the reliability of public transport, school transport, parking and road closures. On this basis, they would be able to examine together both immediate measures and long-term solutions, including their costs and expected impact, and jointly develop solutions to the challenges being faced,” the PN said.

Every three months, the Committee should present to Parliament and publish, in accordance with the rules of the House, a report setting out its findings, the data analysed and the way forward. The report should identify recommendations, the steps required and the progress made on those that have been accepted, so that the public can follow what is changing.

A meeting will be requested between the Opposition and the Government so that this proposal can be formally presented and explained in detail, with the aim of reaching agreement on how we can work together to implement it, the party said.

“The Government has responsibility for implementation, and we want to make a serious contribution towards finding solutions. We can retain our political differences while at the same time working together where there is a common interest, in the interests of the country and every citizen,” the PN said.

The PN said that it is extending a hand of cooperation because it believes that, when faced with a problem that affects us all, we should combine our efforts for the benefit of everyone living in Malta.

The statement was signed by Opposition Whip and Shadow Minister for Sustainable Mobility Ivan Castillo.