With Malta’s traffic problem quickly reaching a breaking point, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has announced that studies for a metro system in Malta are at an advanced stage.

Speaking at the annual general conference of the Malta Developer’s Association, Muscat said that the government will start looking into the initiative after the first phase of the €700 million road project.

Muscat sounded off a warning against the construction waste that will be generated from the project.

“We want the metro because we do not want cars, but then we have no idea where to put the construction waste. We do not want to fill up the quarries and we do not want to just dispose it carelessly, but then we do not want to land reclamation. At some point we need to start making decisions.”

He explained that the Environment and Resources Authority will soon publish a detailed study on the subject.

The studies for the metro are being carried out by Arup, a London-based engineering and consultancy firm, which has worked on some major global projects – including Sydney Opera House, the Silicon Valley headquarters of Apple, the Etihad Stadium and the London Eye.

A mass public transportation system was a feature of last year’s election campaign, with both Labour and PN pledging to conduct studies on the introduction of trains on the island.

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Julian Bonnici

Julian is the former editor of Lovin Malta and has a particular interest in politics, the environment, social issues, and human interest stories.