Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1419860
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 OCTOBER 2021 10 NEWS Environment Protection Act, 2016 Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations (S.L. 549.46) NOTICE OF SUBMISSION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT To demolish existing building as phase 1 of a redevelopment project. Site at: Mellieħa Bay Hotel, Triq il-Marfa, Għadira, Mellieħa, and Proposed development of hotel (Class 3B) with ancillary facilities including storage of LPG tanks and excavation works following the demolition of the existing hotel (PA/9876/19). Proposal also includes soft/hard landscaping, pools, and restoration/construction of rubble walls, and restoration of part of the coast. Total proposed number of guest rooms is 421 rooms. Site at: Mellieħa Bay Hotel, Triq il-Marfa, Għadira, Mellieħa PA/09876/19 & PA/01948/20 Notice is hereby being given that an EIA Report has been submitted to the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) in connection with the above-mentioned applications. Digital copies of the EIA Report are available on the ERA website: https://era.org.mt/era-project/pa9876-19/ Digital copies of the same document are also available at the Mellieha Local Council and the ERA offices in Marsa for public inspection. Anyone who wishes to make any submissions on environmental matters should write to the Director of Environment and Resources, Environment and Resources Authority, Hexagon House, Spencer Hill, Marsa MRS 1441, or send an email to eia.malta@era.org.mt, by the 16 th November 2021 Date: 17 th October 2021 Disclaimer: The Authority is committed to protect the personal data and privacy of the public in general. You are being informed that when making submissions, your personal data will not be disclosed or published unless within twelve (12) hours you give consent to the Authority to disclose your personal data. Provided that the Authority may disclose your personal data in those cases where it is required to do so, in order to comply with the applicable Laws. WITH free public transport by October 2022, Malta becomes the second country in the EU after Luxembourg to introduce the measure for residents. The spend on the Tallinja bus pass now increases from €3.9 million to €8.6 million in 2022, suggest- ing that by 2023, the measure could cost €20 million. The socially progressive measure makes mobility more affordable for low-income earners, as well as rewarding them for their low carbon foot- print. But how far will univer- sal free transport change the behaviour of those who shun public transport? "For most people it is not the cost that is the barrier to take public transport today... lo- cal and international research shows that making public transport free is not the right strategy to entice those who currently drive a private car to start using public transport," says Suzanne Mass, an expert in sustainable mobility and project manager of the EIT Ur- ban Mobility Hub at MCAST's Applied Research and Innova- tion Centre. "There is even a risk that mak- ing a service free could affect the level of service, as the sys- tem may become abused or ex- pectations are lowered," Mass says ,who thinks the shift from private cars nees both 'carrots' – incentives for sustainable mobility – and 'sticks' – disin- centives for private car use. "Such a policy package should include a combination of meas- ures that restrict car use, such as the removal of free on-street parking, the introduction of paid parking, low emission zones and car free zones, cou- pled with investment in safer and more comfortable walking and cycling infrastructure, see- ing as half of today's trips are less than 5km." These need to be coupled with what is really needed to promote more efficient and ef- fective public transport name- ly: "the creation of dedicated bus lanes, a Bus Rapid Transit network on main corridors, plus further investment in mul- ti-modal mobility, through con- nection with ferries, electric bicycles and scooters, to start, continue or complete a journey." Michelle Attard Tonna, deputy dean of the Faculty of Education and President of bicycle advo- cacy group Rota, welcomed the measure as one of the "most am- bitious, and well received" of this year's Budget measures. But he points out the contradiction in the approach to mobility issues: road-widening created more space for private cars, encourag- ing more private transport when certain trips can be made by bus, on foot or by bicycle. "Is this an admission of failure? Why have we invested so many millions, and taken so much precious space and agricultural land, if we are now saying that we need more people to use the bus?" Attard Tonna says free buses also need to be accompanied by other measures – indeed making all public transport free. "There are ferries travelling between the Three Cities and Valletta, Sliema and Valletta, and Valletta to Gozo. Subsidise those as well. It will still work out cheaper, as a country, than if people had to use their private vehicle." Moreover buses must be punc- tual, more regular, and with fea- sible routes. "In some localities, buses are once every hour, and stop at 8pm. Do we want young people to use buses and make this mod- al shift? If yes, then buses must operate within a much longer timeframe". But crucially, Malta cannot let buses get stuck in traffic. "Who will give up the independence and flexibility a car will give him if the bus journey will take the same amount of time?" And for this to happen, more space must be allocated in the street for buses, bikes, pedes- trians... and politicians should be leading by example. "Public transport should not be there just for people who cannot drive, or for migrants who do not yet own a car. We need to see politi- cians using them – not the ran- dom, photo op experience but daily – since they have so much influence in our country." She even publicly invites In- frastructure Minister Ian Borg to start using a bus, to increase his awareness of "the day-to-day hardships bus users face, includ- ing inadequate or non-existent bus shelters; buses which dont turn up, and waiting for a bus with cars squeezing past you be- cause many places do not even have a bus bay," hoping this shows him where the issues lie and make him keener to address them. Prof. Luciano Mule Stagno, from the Institute of Sustainable Development, also thinks free buses will be good for lower-in- come earners who already make use of public transport. But again, traffic and frequen- cy pose the biggest challenge to reliability. "Hopefully if more people start using the service the frequency will increase on many routes and the reliability could be increased by adding more dedicated bus lanes." "At best it might convince some young people to delay buy- ing a new car," says urban plan- ner Dr John Ebejer. "But it is unlikely to convince any car user to switch to public transport on a regular basis. "The problem of the current bus service isn't price – it is re- liability. "There needs to be radical im- provements... greater frequency, more routes and improved bus stops, as well as stricter enforce- ment on the operator whenever trips are missed and commuters are left stranded." Free buses, less cars? That could be long road ahead Free buses means €546 back in people's pockets for daily commuters. But will it make motorists leave their car at home? We asked the mobility experts