Cars Are Overrated: 5 Easy Policies That Would Quickly Reduce Traffic In Malta
Traffic in Malta has become unbearable, and the blame lies with the lack of concrete government policies to help reduce cars on the road.
While roads have been widened and flyovers built at every corner, the undeniable truth is that catering to the existing and ever-increasing number of new cars will be impossible considering the country’s spatial and infrastructural limitations.
Here are five implementable policies that could help regulate traffic, optimise public space, provide alternative modes of transport and drastically quality of life in Malta.
1. Implementing ‘Limited Traffic Zones’
A limited traffic zone is an area whereby the number of cars entering is capped through simple and effective enforcement and regulation.
This has been implemented in cities such as Rome, which has banned non-residents from driving in the city centre between the hours of 6.30am to 6 pm from Monday to Friday, from 2pm to 6pm on Saturdays and from 11pm to 3am on Fridays and Saturdays.
A few exceptions apply, including to motorbikes, taxis and delivery vans.
This has radically transformed the way residents and visitors travel through the city, prioritising public transport and alternative private transport such as bikes and scooters. Reducing the number of cars has also freed up space for more bus lanes and bike lanes all over the city.
Such a system would drastically reduce gridlock in Maltese town centres in Malta, allowing for public transport to be more efficient and therefore more attractive to commuters.
2. Higher licensing costs
License fees in Malta are paid annually, they are paid for every vehicle and are calculated using the specifications of the vehicle as well as its age.
An outright way of reducing cars off the road would be to increase the cost of driving, whilst simultaneously investing more money into a more coherent and functional public transport system.
Cost increases would also encourage younger drivers to consider other possible options when it comes to their personal transport.
Costs associated with older vehicles could also rise, encouraging owners to remove older cars from the market.
3. Improve cycling infrastructure
Minister Aaron Farrugia (centre) during a recent ride with local cyclists
Promoting cycling whilst improving the existing infrastructure is critical to reducing traffic.
However, Malta is a great example of wasted potential when it comes to cycling, which is considered as dangerous and impractical due to the lack of cycling infrastructure.
Continuous connections that effectively get the cyclist from point A to point B without having to cross dangerous junctions or crossroads are necessary, while boundaries should be placed between the bike lane and the road.
Earlier this year, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Aaron Farrugia announced a €35 million investment in cycling lanes but as he has previously stated, his main property remains the efficiency of cars, leaving bicycle lanes as an afterthought. The proposed plan, which will be implemented in the next five years, fails to include towns such as St Julians, Sliema and Gżira and also fails to create an effective link between villages.
An effective bicycle lane system should link residential areas with busier commercial areas and be complemented with an effective public transport system.
4. Rationalise and organise distribution and deliveries
Planning when it comes to deliveries and closures of roads for private purposes is paramount to the smooth flow of traffic.
Such activities should be limited to periods of low traffic in order to reduce traffic jams brought about by unregulated closure of roads.
Optimising available space to create more unloading bays could also provide delivery drivers with more options when it comes to unloading other than blocking the road itself.
5. Alternating days of car allowance
The most controversial policy on this list would be the alternating days option whereby drivers with number plates ending in an even number can use their cars on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, whilst drivers with number plates ending in an odd number can use it on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
This policy may seem drastic but would yield the quickest results, with around half of Malta’s private vehicles off the road in an instant.
Exemptions can then be granted to delivery vans, taxis, doctors and other forms of commodities that require everyday transport.
However, it can only work with a heavy investment in public transport, bicycle lanes and car pooling initiatives.
Do you have any ideas on how to get rid of the gridlock?