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MALTATODAY 25 August 2019

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15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 AUGUST 2019 NEWS tem in Malta, where the population is also boosted by more than two million tourists that visit annually. However, the other key components in any feasibility study will have to factor in the capital cost to build the infrastructure and the cost to oper- ate the underground system once it is ready. This is where the numbers game gets more complicated because both ex- penditures will have to be reflected in the price paid by the consumer for the service and the possible public sub- sidy to ensure feasibility and a return for investors. The government has been study- ing the metro option for more than two years now, engaging Danish firm Arup to map out the options. The only public utterances to date have focused on the unfeasibility of extending the metro to Gozo with Times of Malta reporting that Arup's plan was for a 30km loop focusing on the northern harbour region. A three-line concept Architect Konrad Xuereb, who runs KonceptX, had earlier this year put a price tag of between €3 billion and €4 billion for a concept design he cre- ated. Xuereb's proposal would see the con- struction of a three-line metro system that would include a principle route between Mellieħa and Birżebbuġa, via a loop that connects the harbour areas and the airport. Xuereb also proposed a third phase that would see a metro connection be- tween Mellieħa and three localities in Gozo via an undersea tunnel. His is the only independent ballpark figure so far for the construction of an underground system in Malta. Xuereb had argued that despite the hefty capital expenditure, the pay- back period for such a project would be shorter due to the larger customer base it would attract, and more rev- enues from fares and advertisements. The Nationalist Party had set a price tag of €2.3 billion on a 2017 election proposal for a metro that would run both over ground and underground. Another €300 million would be re- quired to build a tunnel to Gozo and extend the metro to the sister island, the PN proposal said. For comparison's sake, the Brescia Metro cost more than €900 million to construct and this included the price for the trains. The metro line was dug out at a depth of 25m and the con- struction process from inception to completion took 10 years. The city also had to contend with delays on the project when construc- tion work in some parts hit on historic finds, a situation that could very likely be experienced in Malta. The 2008 tram study The only publicly available study on a mass transport system in Malta was done in 2008 and it delved into the possibility of having a tram service, not an underground. The government had commissioned the UK-based Halcrow Group to pre- pare the study, which identified two potential routes – Valletta to Slie- ma, passing through Pieta, Msida, Ta' Xbiex and Gżira, and Valletta to Ta' Qali, passing through Hamrun, Birkirkara, and Attard. Halcrow had concluded that such a project would require a capital in- vestment of between €206 million and €325 million. The annual operating cost was estimated at €7.5 million. The project would have required the trams to share the road with cars and potential bottlenecks were identified along both routes that would require the removal of on-street parking and possible re-routing of vehicular traffic to prioritise trams. Based on the Halcrow findings, the government had shunned the tram option and shifted its focus to re- vamping the bus service. Calls for the construction of a metro system have resurfaced lately in the wake of protests sparked by the de- struction of trees and arable land as a result of road projects. Government has pledged to pour millions of euros into improving the road infrastructure by widening ar- terial roads and in some instances building new ones, such as Attard's Central Link. Cars and buses With NSO figures putting Malta's car population at almost 400,000 ve- hicles, of which 78% are private cars, the need to improve the road network by removing bottlenecks and ensuring safer traffic flows is self-evident. However, a longer-term view of the country's mobility needs may require the construction of an underground mass transport system to get people out of their cars, reduce congestion and improve air quality. The government's plans for a metro system have so far not seen the light of day and the emphasis remains on road works and growing the public bus system. Buses carried 53.4 million passen- gers in 2018, exhibiting a growing trend that necessitated the introduc- tion of 40 new vehicles this month. The public purse also subsidises the bus system with this year's outlay ex- pected to reach €29.8 million. But as long as public transport con- tinues to use the same roads that are clogged by cars, the level of efficiency will always suffer. That Malta is a car-loving nation was confirmed by a survey carried out by sister newspaper Illum. When asked what was their preferred means of transport, 80.6% said their car, while 16.6% said the bus. The introduction of a mass transit system may help wean people off their cars on the promise of faster and more efficient travel times. However, when this will happen, if at all, is a whole different argument altogether. The introduction of a mass transit system may help wean people off their cars on the promise of faster and more eff icient travel times. When this will happen, if at all, is a whole different argument altogether though stumbling block for metro

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