The people and the car

Michael Briguglio - Times of Malta 31 October 2016

A few days ago, the United Nations environment agency spoke about the need to put people before cars. The UN said that governments should invest at least 20 per cent of their transport budgets in infrastructure that promotes walking and cycling, to save lives, curb pollution and cut climate-changing emissions from vehicles.

Incidentally, on the same day I participated in a local councillors’ meeting in Rome on green mobility for healthy cities. The main speakers presented successful and inspirational examples in different European cities. It was clear that policymaking can make a difference if implemented well.

For example, it was shown that congestion charges in Milan have reduced traffic and helped provide funding for a clean transport system. The implementation of the charge was tweaked in agreement with the business community.

There was resistance from certain car park owners, certain political forces and some residents, but the eventual positive results are there for everyone to see. Indeed the local council administration wasreconfirmed in a subsequent election.In the meantime, the vast majority ofworkers have continued using public transport, and various economic sectors are reaping advantages.

Malta’s small size provides an opportunity for a modal shift towards cleaner transport

During the conference, those present also learned about improvements made in the transport system of Naples. A congested southern city with a fair share of crises and a financially challenged poor local council is now investing in pedestrianisation, bicycle lanes, bicycle sharing, car sharing and collective taxis. To top it all, Naples has developed a state-of-the art underground station.

In some other localities across Italy, public transport is more accessible, new tram networks have been created and cycling mobility has increased.

Policies are also being adopted to replace older vehicles for merchandise distribution with smaller, cleaner vehicles. And moves are being made for better usage of smart technology which provides holistic information on buses, bicycle use, parking and other matters which can make life much easier for commuters.

This type of policymaking is also being adopted in French cities such as Paris and Grenoble and Spanish cities such as Valencia. Again, public investment in public transport, bicycle lanes, car sharing and pedestrianisation is on the increase.

A lovely case study which was presented in the conference concerned Brussels. It was explained that car dependency has decreased through the ‘stop’ principle. Here, policymakers give successive priority to walking, riding, usage of public transport and finally, the car. The latter is only addressed in terms of policymaking when other methods are exhausted.

Consequently, Brussels has an abundance of bicycle lanes, a bicycle sharing system, strong investment in pedestrianisation, buses and trams, and a progressive reduction of car speed limits which will eventually cover all local roads.

Studies referred to in the conference show that from 50 per cent car usage in 1999, the usage of this mode of transport decreased to 33 per cent in 2010. Today, 37 per cent of commutes take place on foot, and usage of public transport has increased massively. This has taken place despite an increase in population of 250,000 and 60,000 more jobs during the same timeframe.

It was also explained that had Brussels adopted a business-as-usual approach in transport policy, there would have been a massive increase of cars. Yet, once again, sustainable policymaking is helping bring about a modal shift in transport.

Other positive examples were presented during the conference. Rather than hearing of usual acclaimed success stories such as Amsterdam and Copenhagen, participants learned of successful transport policies in other cities which are less known for such approaches. Incidentally, even Amsterdam and Copenhagen were over dependent on cars years ago.

The benefits of such forward-looking policymaking are multifold. Apart from helping improve mobility and accessibility, they also help reduce air pollution and congestion. They help improve people’s well-being and help build a sense of community through open and safe spaces.

Such a sustainable transformation is possible through determined policymaking which is evidence based. Will Malta ever move towards this direction?

Will positive examples such as Valletta’s pedestrianisation be mainstreamed? I believe that Malta’s small size provides an opportunity for a modal shift towards cleaner transport. And before we resort to Malta’s car-culture narrative, let us keep in mind that other cities were car-dependent too.

Dusty Sliema car park needs full permit, says PA

Times of Malta 18 June 2016

A temporary Sliema car park, the dust from which has fuelled numerous complaints, will not be allowed to operate beyond July 2017 unless it is covered by a full development permit.

This was confirmed by a Planning Authority spokesman, who said new regulations enacted this year no longer allowed such a facility to be run through a simple development notification order, a fast track procedure used for minor developments.

Located in Tower Road, in front of the iconic Villa Drago, which formerly served as the Libyan Embassy, the car park was opened a couple of years ago on the site where the Regina Hotel stood. The hotel used to be a popular weddings venue in the 1960s but it became an eyesore after it was pulled down about a decade ago.

A development permit was issued in 2014 for a four-star hotel on the site, but works have yet to start. Instead, the developer opted to convert the open space into a temporary parking facility bearing the name of the old hotel and to lay gravel over the surface.

Heavy use of the site meant the gravel has been crushed and reduced to dust, becoming a source of constant inconvenience, especially on windy days.

Replying to questions from the Times of Malta, the Planning Authority spokesman noted that the applicant had not been obliged to pave the area because he had been instructed to restore it to its original state. He pointed out, however, that a development notification order, which was set to expire in July 2017, could no longer be renewed.

The spokesman said: “This permitted development cannot be extended further through a development notification order under the remit of LN 211/16. Any fresh request requires a full development permit application, summary procedure, as defined in the new Development Planning Act 2016, LN 162/16, type 6 development.”

Under this procedure, a notice would be displayed on site, and the application would then be published in The Malta Government Gazette together with a 15-day public consultation timeframe in which objections could be raised, the spokesman said.

When contacted, Sliema mayor Anthony Chircop admitted he was surprised, saying such information had not been communicated to the council despite its having raised this issue with the planning watchdog before. In fact, the council is due to seek redress before a planning tribunal in a last ditch attempt to address the dust pollution complaints.

“We have been left in a quandary, and our last weapon is to file an appeal demanding that the developers asphalt the car park or else the Planning Authority would not extend the facility’s permit for another year,” Mr Chircop said.

He lamented that the authorities seemed to be turning a blind eye to their complaints. Noting that the planning watchdog persistently refused to go into the merits of the case, stating that the facility was covered by a development notification order, Mr Chircop said even public health authorities had not been forthcoming

“To our surprise, the public health authorities told us that they would only take action in case somebody were to produce a medical report highlighting the hazard posed by such activity,” the mayor said.

On a positive note, he welcomed the announcement that the facility would need a full development permit to be allowed to remain open, adding that this would allow the council to voice its concerns on the matter.

Nevertheless, Mr Chircop continued, the council would still forge ahead with its plan to seek redress through the Environment Planning Tribunal.

Regina Car Park Pollution - Sliema Council Appeals

The Sliema Local Council has submitted an appeal to the Environment & Planning Review Tribunal with regard to the application for DNO renewal by the operators of Regina Car Park in Tower Road.

SLC is objecting to renewal of the operation permit unless tarmac is surfaced on the ground.

Residents, pedestrians, workers and shoppers have long been complaining to SLC regarding the dust pollution resulting from the carpark, and SLC has been alerting the authorities about this.

Will the wardens system improve?

Times of Malta, 2 November 2015

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20151102/opinion/Will-the-warden-system-improve.590611

Some months ago, Local Councils Parliamentary Secretary Stefan Buontempo said that the warden system had become a ‘ticket-issuing machine’ which required change.

In his words, government’s reform in the sector “will transform wardens from Gestapo officers hiding behind trees ready to suck the money out of citizens’ pockets into friends of our community”. Consequently the new system would be credible, sustainable and would take on a more civil and educational role.

Through the new system, a government agency will regulate the sector and will procure warden services from private operators at a fixed price.

Will this reform produce a better enforcement system?

I for one am not convinced that a centralised agency under the control of central government is the best way forward. True, such an agency may benefit from economies of scale, but on the other hand it may add another layer of bureaucracy to a system which is already characterised by too much red tape and too little transparency and effective results.

Perhaps it would have been better to have a system which gives more power to local councils, which, after all, are more in touch with their localities’ immediate needs.

Questions have also been raised on the method of appointment of the head of the new government agency. It is a political one on the basis of trust, and not on merit through an open, public call for applications.

I do acknowledge that certain positions within the public sector require persons of trust. But I fail to see how the head of an enforcement agency should be handpicked by the respective minister (or prime minister).

Consequently, will the head be loyal to the political whims of his political masters? Will this result in uneven enforcement, for example when elections are approaching?

Notwithstanding the issues I mentioned above, I wish to refer to certain matters which I hope will be tackled by the new agency.

Such a centralised agency may benefit from economies of scale, but on the other hand it may add another layer of bureaucracy

First, I hope that wardens take action against heavy polluters. These include many old cars, certain delivery vans, certain minibuses and coaches, a good deal of construction trucks and other vehicles. They are not only producing pollution levels which should not be tolerated in any self-respecting society but, in the case of commercial vehicles, they are a source of unfair competition to others. For example, in the waste collection sector, some companies are using new trucks which produce minimal pollution, whilst others are using trucks which are only fit for scrapping.

Second, wardens should enforce on bus lanes. I recently learned that only 12 tickets were issued on the Sliema-Gzira one. Is this right, when cowboy drivers frequently swerve into the bus lane at high speed, to the danger of pedestrians and to the frustration of other drivers who follow regulations?

Third, wardens should take immediate action against construction trucks blocking roads without a local council permit, cars parked abusively on pavements, public spaces and other areas for a length of time. I do agree that at times drivers have no choice but to park temporarily in non-parking spaces in the case of deliveries, transportation of kids or elderly persons, and so forth, but this is a far cry from those who permanently park their cars in public areas such as disability ramps and beaches.

In this regard, it is imperative that wardens operate around the clock. As things stand, it is more likely to see wardens operating during office hours, but everyone knows that enforcement is required at all times of the day, including weekends, when local council offices are closed.

Finally, Malta’s enforcement system should make more use of green wardens. Currently, they are too costly for cash-stripped local councils, and hence their deployment is minimal. No wonder that dog pooh, rubbish bags and other unsightly waste feature prominently in various parts of the country.

I agree with Buontempo that wardens have an important educational role. This can help increase a sense of civic pride and respect. But I also wish to remind him that when front seatbelt legislation was introduced, it was the fining system which made it work. The same cannot be said for seatbelts at rear seats.

Road maps and roads

Michael Briguglio
Times of Malta, 3rd August 2015
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150803/opinion/Road-maps-and-roads.579094

The mismanagement of the Coast Road development hit the headlines these past days. This is not a surprise, given that public concern on traffic has increased. This has much to do with the government’s underperformance in terms of policymaking and policy implementation in this field.

The hefty increase in traffic is due to various reasons. Among others, these include one’s ‘freedom’ when driving a car and the fact that the public transport system keeps failing to deliver.

When Transport Minister Joe Mizzi demonised everything Arriva, he raised public expectations on the new public transport operator. Government subsidy to private operators and bus fares increased too. Ultimately, this is backfiring because it does not seem that the increases have been matched by a better service.

The increase in traffic has also got to do with the government’s lack of awareness on the need for holistic planning and on the perils of overdeveloping. The proposed 38- and 40-storey towers just a few metres away from each other in Tigné, Sliema is a case in point.

The area is already over-congested with cars, yet, thousands more will result due to these developments and new parking spaces will only cover a small fraction of the resultant demand.

One can also refer to the situation faced by many local councils, which do not have enough financial means to carry out urgently-needed roadworks. Instead of resorting to a decentralised system, which enables the council to generate revenue to cover such costs, the government is over-centralising, thus reducing local councils to beggars at ministers’ whims. Such methods are more common in less democratic societies.

Bus lanes, commendable as they are, also fall in the category of mismanagement. A bus lane is not simply about painting markings on a road and fixing some signs. It is much more about proper education, implementation and enforcement.

Taking the Sliema-Gżira bus lane as an example, one can unfortunately predict tragic accidents waiting to happen. At every time of the day, many irresponsible cowboy drivers speed along the bus lane to the dismay of pedestrians and bicycle users and to the anger of other drivers who observe traffic regulations.

Strict enforcement at random throughout all days of the week is required, together with more effective street lighting to enhance visibility.

Another area that is characterised by very poor enforcement is the pedestrians’ rights on pavements, especially along promenades. The number of vendors who are mushrooming, especially in tourist zones, is resulting in lack of walking space.

Apart from stalls, trailers, make-do rooms and so forth, pedestrians have to contend with signs, A-frames and other obstacles, sometimes even on ramps, which were designed for the access of persons with disability, parents with push chairs and the elderly.

Once again, it seems that centralisation is becoming the order of the day, wherein orders from ‘above’ are required to take concrete action.

I hope that the lack of enforcement in this matter is not related to some Malta tagħna lkoll electoral obligation.

The cherry on the cake on Malta’s transport matters must be the emissions from cars. I had the opportunity to write about this earlier this year, in the Times of Malta, on February 9, when I commented on the ridiculous under-enforcement with regard to emissions, according to official government statistics.

I do not envy Mizzi who is responsible for such a challenging ministry and I do empathise with the fact that problem solving takes time. However, I am sure that the minister can show some signs of hands-on implementation in various matters falling under his responsibility.

To begin with, enforcement should be stepped up in many areas. How about beginning by giving a genuine push to the SMS system where civic-minded citizens report cars thatg are over-emitting?

In a country which has one of the oldest car fleets and one of the highest number of cars per person in the EU, but which also happens to be the smallest member State, effective governance on transport is more urgent than ever.

New Responsibilities as Councillor

In yesterday's Local Council meeting, Sliema Mayor Anthony Chircop re-assigned resposibilities to councillors. My responsibilities are as follows:

Chairperson Education;
Chairperson Committee for Accessibility and Disability;
Member - Committee for Public Gardens, Playing Fields and Promenade;
Member - Finance Committee;
Member - Tenders Committee;
Coastal Environment;
Environmental Pollution (Air, Traffic, Noise);
Member - EU Funding Committee

Those willing to assist in any of these areas are welcome to contact me at mbrig@hotmail.com

Transport Quandaries

The Times, February 9, 2015
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150209/opinion/Transport-quandaries.555353

Transport Minister Joe Mizzi recently announced that a grand total of 38 cars failed the emissions test in Malta over a 22-month period. Yes, 38 cars. In addition, another 155 cars faced licence restrictions. This occurred after Transport Malta received 22,182 SMS emission reports and sent 681 notifications, including second notifications, for cars to be submitted for emission testing.

These figures reflect the sad state of Maltese administration when it comes to environmental matters. Many questions come to mind in this regard.

For example, why is it that only 681 notifications were sent when Transport Malta received 22,182 reports? Can detailed statistics be provided? What were the criteria for submission of notifications?

In sectors such as construction, delivery and tourism, but even in the case of many private cars, there are vehicles that would never be allowed on the road in a society that gives serious consideration to the environment. I wonder how such vehicles pass VRT tests.

The argument that such cars are required for our economy is short-sighted, to say the least. To begin with, many societies which have strict emissions policies also happen to be high economic performers. Besides, the emissions by junk vehicles which are polluting our roads have high environmental, health, social and economic costs.

The car emission issue is, in my view, one of Malta’s most pressing environmental concerns. Judging by the government’s performance and PR, it seems that the best it can do to tackle emissions – apart from removing 38 cars from the road - is to come up with a scheme to incentivise the few owners of certain luxury cars to drive on weekends. I wonder whether anyone is taking this proposal seriously.

There are other transport issues which also deserve serious attention.

As we all know, Malta has exceptionally low standards when it comes to roads. It seems that strict monitoring and certification takes place only when EU funds are involved or when certain local councils voluntarily choose to fulfill their responsibilities towards residents. Unfortunately, though, local councils’ restrictive budgets do not permit a thorough upgrading of road infrastructure.

Roads also tend to be monopolised by cars at the expense of pedestrians and cyclists. In various urban areas, people are literally unable to walk, play or ride bicycles due to excessive pollution, lack of space, excessive traffic, lack of holistic planning, poor infrastructure and so forth.

To make matters worse, many roads in localities are characterised by restrictive pavements that often give priority to garages, signage which hinders accessibility and shoddy workmanship. Very often, a walk on the pavement becomes a major hurdle for persons with disability, parents with children, elderly persons and others.

Basic proposals, such as having shared space between cars and bicycles through sharrows, are being ignored by Transport Malta, even when local authorities support them. Various new projects, such as the new coastroad, seem to be giving very little space to pedestrians. Or will it have a proper promenade and ample space for cyclists?

Notwithstanding the above, there are examples of good practice. A notable case is the pedestrianisation of Valletta, though one hopes that the monti issue will not eat up precious open space.

Another positive example concerns regulations on front seatbelts, where practically all Malta has been following the rules since the late 1990s. The same cannot be said with regard seatbelts at the back, where enforcement seems to be lacking.

The introduction of wardens, traffic lights and traffic-calming measures have also generally lead to more disciplined drivers, even though there are exceptions.

So why can’t we have better practice when it comes to emissions and quality of roads?

A practical way forward would be to ensure that traffic wardens give more imporance to car emissions. They should use their authority when clear cases of heavy pollution are seen on the roads. When this is the case, they should order examination of such vehicles by Transport Malta.

Local councils should also be given more authority. Along the lines of subsidiarity, councils can adopt fiscal measures to encourage or discourage certain modes of transport and can also introduce schemes, for example with respect to parking, through which revenue can be generated for infrastructural purposes.

With regard to public transport, I eagerly await the government’s information campaign as well as the long overdue tabling of its agreement with the new operator.

At first glance, I welcome certain promised improvements, such as encouraging the use of cards rather than paying on the bus. At the same time, and from the sparse information available, it seems that the removal of day tickets and weekly tickets might have a negative price impact on certain users.

The transport issue is very much in synch with the consumer vs citizen debate.

As consumers, we require cars as a source of identity, as a source of personal freedom and as a practical tool that enables mobility.

As citizens, we have our environmental rights and responsibilities, which go beyond having a car and which relate to everyday democracy. Clean air, access to open space and practical mobility without necessarily resorting to a car are key indicators of a good quality of life.