Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1104601
15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 14 APRIL 2019 NEWS residential development. Yet the prevailing logic seems to be that the scale of excava- tions required by the Gozo tunnel will make it inevitable. Once again not a question of if, but a question of how. So are we expecting to ap- prove the Gozo tunnel before assessing the merits and feasi- bility of land reclamation, only to be told at a later stage that this is inevitable because we have already approved the tun- nel? 5. A metro to justify land reclamation? Muscat himself has craftily introduced a new angle to the tunnel debate by hinting that land reclamation will also be the inevitable consequence of a mass transit system. "Some may argue that Malta needs an underground met- ro system to solve the traffic problem – the excavation of which would lead to the crea- tion of huge amounts of con- struction debris. In the same breath, however, they might say that they are against land reclamation," Muscat recently said when addressing the Mal- ta Developers Association. The risk of this reasoning is that it serves as an excuse to do nothing to reduce the amount of construction waste in the present by limiting develop- ment and encouraging the re- cycling of this waste, simply because the Gozo tunnel and even more so, a metro, will inevitably tip the scales of the balance. Yet how can we make such a drastic decision in the absence of an informed debate on both land reclamation and mass transit options? For while a trade-off between a metro and land reclamation for a public purpose may be accept- able, the same cannot be said if the waste created by a metro is used as an excuse to build up the coastline for private gain. Another problem with this reasoning is that so far no studies have been published on which mass transit system is best suited for Malta. Al- ternatives like monorails and bus lanes, which come with problems of their own, do not require massive excavation works. This is why forward planning must be based on studies assessing the impacts of different solutions, which would enlighten debate before the inevitable trade offs are made. Moreover, developing a mass transit system which may well turn out to be a hybrid of un- derground, maritime and sur- face connections, will take place over a considerable time- frame during which the coun- try can learn to manage its waste flows in a more manage- able way, possibly by approving less mega projects. A metro is no magical solu- tion for our transport prob- lems. Any mass transit system represents a drastic change in mentality, which needs to be addressed in the present rather than at some future date. Therefore having more bus lanes and pedestrian con- nections on the surface must precede and complement the growth of mass transit sys- tems. Yet, over the past years the government has done the opposite: widen more roads not to create more bus and cycling lanes but to make life easier for drivers. 6. A metro ties in with Muscat's economic model In the meantime Muscat con- veniently refers to unpublished studies showing that a metro will only be feasible if the pop- ulation continues to increase, making this public good de- pendent on an economic mod- el based on more construction to accommodate more people. Muscat is correct in saying that a mass transit system is rendered more feasible by hav- ing critical mass of users. Yet that does not exclude the state forking out money to subsidise routes which are not commer- cially viable, as currently hap- pens with the bus service. In fact the Labour government has rightly increased subsidies for buses and reversed the cuts which stunned the Arriva ser- vice under the Gonzi adminis- tration. Ironically the same Muscat who is evasive on the scale of public financing for the Gozo tunnel, warns that in the absence of more population growth taxes will have to increase, to finance the metro. It remains unclear whether Muscat is really inter- ested in commencing the mass transport revolution, or whether he is simply playing on people's fears to further postpone deci- sions. This suggests that the metro debate will linger on for some time, being resurrected from time to time to justify other dubious policy choices. 7. The Sandro Chetcuti trading scheme Recently MDA president Sandro Chetcuti proposed a trading scheme which would see developers purchasing the gross floor area of properties inside village cores only to re- frain from developing it, while benefitting from reduced costs and planning gains elsewhere. The Prime Minister replied that although he was not averse to the idea, this would have to be studied and care- fully thought out, noting that value of land in different parts of the island varied greatly. Sure enough we have reached a point where everyone real- ises that our towns and villages are being over-developed. But once again we risk having a long chimerical debate during which the PA will continue churning permits based on ex- isting policies. This will be another example of allowing developers to make hay while the sun shines as the country is absorbed in yet an- other discussion which would see developers benefit either way it goes. Top: Graffitti protest. A year ago Environment Minister José Herrera called for a revision of the petrol station policy approved by government in 2014, which had paved the way for the approval of four mega petrol stations on land outside development zones. Bottom: Are we expecting to approve the Gozo tunnel before assessing the merits and feasibility of land reclamation, only to be told at a later stage that this is inevitable because we have already approved the tunnel? Recently MDA president Sandro Chetcuti proposed a trading scheme which would see developers purchasing the gross floor area of properties inside village cores only to refrain from developing it, while benefitting from reduced costs and planning gains elsewhere Muscat conveniently refers to unpublished studies showing that a metro will only be feasible if the population continues to increase, making this public good dependent on an economic model based on more construction to accommodate more people