Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1002137
27 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 JULY 2018 FOLLOWING months of discussion, consultation and hard work, Malta is one step closer to achieving the quality infrastructure it deserves. Parliament has taken a vote, with the government voting in favour of the setting up of Infrastructure Malta; the agency which will be remem- bered for the implementation of the biggest investment in road infrastructure on our islands. We have heard and our- selves mentioned many times, the government's promise of investing €700 million on our roads, which have been left to their will for ages. It is not about the amount that we will be investing, although this is an unprecedented invest- ment. This is about having said 'Yes' to the country's future infrastructure; an infrastructure that will live up to the country's economic progress and most impor- tantly to the people's expecta- tions. The government's agenda is made up of several priorities, but undisputed at the top of the list are Malta and Gozo's people – our citizens and our residents – whose quality of life is our topmost goal. Road infrastructure is part and parcel of a country's standard of living; low quality roads lead to traffic conges- tion, air pollution, vehicle damage, accidents and a lack of facilities for alternative means. This is not what we dream of for our future gen- erations – it is not what we dream of for ourselves. That is why we felt the need for Infrastructure Malta; an agency composed of technical experts, which will be respon- sible for the implementation of this project in our country. What does this mean for our residents? It means less potholes outside their doorsteps, and higher quality asphalt on their roads. It means im- proved parking design and pedestrian facilities. It means that the nightmare is over for those residents who live in roads which have never seen a layer of asphalt. Infrastructure Malta means working with local councils, for who better knows their locality's residents and their needs? It means that now our local councils can concentrate more on their community projects. On top of all these positives, however, there remains one more. Infrastructure Malta will not only be responsible for the completion and main- tenance of our two islands' residential roads. Infra- structure Malta will also be gradually taking upon itself the responsibility of work and maintenance on our country's arterial and rural roads. It will see to the effective implementation and com- pletion of important capital projects, such as the Cen- tral Link Project which will forever transform the journey from northern localities to the busy centre of Malta, ef- fectively reducing congestion and waiting time by 50% and emissions by 13.5%, while introducing two kilometres of cycle lanes and 10.7 kilome- tres of pedestrian facilities, with the complete redesign of 13 junctions and bottle- necks and 7.4 kilometres of new and improved lanes; the project which will introduce 19,300 square metres of new landscaped areas and 300 new trees. This is what the Maltese government voted for in Par- liament. This week's vote has green-lighted what we believe will be a historical move for our country – one of the most important steps for the near future; it is the vote which will empower the transition from the way we planned and understood infrastructure to the roads of the future. Thanks to this important step, we will be improving the quality of our country's infra- structure while easing the dif- ficulties we inherited due to a lack of work and investment in the past. We look forward to working with local coun- cils, public entities, other organisations and all individ- uals who use this system on a daily basis – and we will work with them through Infra- structure Malta, to achieve an improved infrastructure in all localities. This week's vote is the government's 'Yes' vote for more efficient roads, safer junctions, alternative means for cyclists, pedestrians and public transport, less conges- tion and lower traffic emis- sions, and for the delivery of our promise to give Malta and Gozo the quality roads and the public infrastructure they deserve, for us and for our future generations. We have listened to fami- lies all over Malta and Gozo; we have heard the pleas of all those who meet difficul- ties on our roads on a daily basis. That is why we will keep striving for an improved infrastructure. That is why we voted 'Yes' – because we want to deliver on our promises. This week's vote in Parlia- ment is a vote for common sense – a vote for the com- mon good; a vote for the peo- ple and their quality of life. A 'Yes' for better roads Low quality roads lead to traff ic congestion, air pollution, vehicle damage, accidents and a lack of facilities for alternative means a lack of facilities for alternative means Ian Borg is transport minister Ian Borg