Three Years On, What Happened To The Plan To Slow Malta’s Streets?
In 2020, inspired by the lack of traffic during the COVID-19 lockdowns, the Maltese government announced a plan to implement “slow streets” throughout Malta and Gozo.
The idea was to create more pedestrianized areas in towns and cities, making them more liveable and enjoyable for residents and visitors alike. The plan was met with enthusiasm, with many people hoping that it would lead to a better quality of life for those living in Malta.
Detailed studies were carried out for 43 local councils by architectural firm studjurban and urban designer Tom Van Malderen in collaboration with Transport Malta and the Ministry for Transport and Infrastructure.
However, almost three years later, little progress has been made, and the slow streets project seems to have been forgotten.
In fact, the last public update was in October 2022, when the head of the Local Councils Association confirmed that the plan had been pushed back but is still in the pipeline, with Żejtun, Swieqi and Safi set to be the first three localities.
The idea behind slow streets is simple: to create areas that are more pedestrian-friendly by reducing traffic, lowering speed limits, and making it easier and safer to walk or cycle around.
This can be achieved through a variety of measures, such as building dedicated cycle lanes, widening pavements, and closing off certain streets to cars altogether.
There are numerous benefits – reducing traffic, pollution and congestion will lead to a cleaner and healthier environment. Pedestrianised areas also tend to be more attractive to tourists, which can be a boost for local businesses whilst making it easier and safer for people to walk or cycle within the towns.
Moving forward, the government needs to make slow streets a priority. This means allocating resources and funding to the project, working with local councils and communities to implement the existing consultations that have already occurred and can be viewed on the ‘Slow Streets” website.
The Maltese slow streets website provides in-depth reports on each village that are without a doubt a valuable resource for the government to move forward with the project. Considering also that these in-depth consultations came at the expense of the taxpayer, so it would be wasteful and foolish to put them aside.
However, it is important to consider that with the announcement of Project Green this year, the government has remained unclear on whether slow streets will also be incorporated within the €700 million investment promised.
Ultimately, the government cannot continue to make false promises. It must take action to make towns and cities more liveable and enjoyable to live in, especially with the rise of development and construction in these areas.
By doing so, it can improve not only the quality of life for Malta’s residents but also create a more beautiful and attractive destination for tourists.
Whatever the reason for the lack of implementation, the blatant inaction on slow streets is a disappointment for many, as making towns and cities more pedestrian-friendly could have a much-needed impact on the quality of life for Maltese residents.
Do you believe that the Slow Streets project needs to be given priority?
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