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6 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 30 NOVEMBER 2022 NEWS NEWS JAMES DEBONO A feasibility study is being pro- posed to determine "the possi- bility and viability" of dedicated circular public transport routes linking major towns to ferry landings in the Valletta region, which includes 27 towns includ- ing urban centres like Sliema, Gzira, Zabbar and Birkirkara. Through the new service commuters will be picked up from localities like Gzira, St Julian's, Pembroke and Ibragg and transported to the Sliema Ferries; and from Paola, Xgha- jra, Fgura and Zabbar to the Cospicua ferry. This will be accompanied by the expansion of free public transport to the ferry landings. This is one of the measures being explored in a public con- sultation document aimed at enhancing sustainable mobility in this highly populated region. This particular measure will study how to facilitate ferry us- age for residents living in near- by town thus better exploiting inter-modal linkages. Collective transport and tele- working for civil service The proposed plan will also seek to encourage public sector entities to develop green travel plans for their employees. This could include the provision of collective transport from local- ities with a high concentration of employees, tele-working on a set number of days per week and the encouragement of car-pooling among employees. Private sector entities with- in the region will also be en- couraged to prepare plans for their employees to travel more sustainably. Moreover, new commercial developments of a certain size will be obliged to implement a Green Commut- ing Plan. The plan also foresees more pedestrian areas especially in locality centres, noting that while most journeys which are less than 2km in length can easily be carried out on foot, the current pedestrian infra- structure "still deters users from walking". Thus, it proposes an improve- ment of pedestrian infrastruc- ture, particularly within areas in localities which could gen- erate the most foot traffic such as school areas, shopping areas, the church, post offices, police stations and health care clinic and the roads leading to them. To facilitate this development the plan proposes a Slow Street Strategy aimed at creating net- works of walking and cycling. This measure will also improve the general accessibility of pavements, walkways for per- sons with disabilities, the el- derly and the use of pushchairs. Pilot studies for pedestrianised slow traffic areas This measure will also identi- fy streets which can be poten- tially transformed into semi or fully pedestrianised areas with- in the different localities, after running studies and pilot pro- jects and holding discussions with affected parties. According to the draft pro- posals. traffic may also be lim- ited at particular times during the day. Potential areas which have been identified, and could thus be studied further, include commercial hubs within local- ities, as well as some urban pockets that have been desig- nated within the Slow Streets strategies, as temporary play streets or as better articulated street spaces. In the spirit of a 'tactical ur- banism' (that is, low-cost, temporary and reversible) ap- proach, these spaces may be tested for increased pedestri- an activity and subsequently either reverted back to their current state or be made even more permanent, depending on the outcome of such pilot- ing initiatives. School grounds proposed as night car parks Another measure will investi- gate the introduction of com- munal parking facilities includ- ing underground car parks and identify potential locations. These communal parking spaces could be further uti- lised to serve other mobility objectives by including vehicle charging infrastructure and linking the car parks to alterna- tive modes of transport options such residential car sharing and public transport links. The study will also consider whether public land could be used for communal parking at given times. "For instance, the study will consider whether specific government building car parks or school grounds could be opened as residential parking during night-time." Circular ferry proposed in new mobility plan to reduce traffic Government issues public consultation Sustainable Mobility plan for Valletta region which includes 27 localities The plan also foresees more pedestrian areas especially in locality centres, noting that while most journeys which are less than 2km in length can easily be carried out on foot, the current pedestrian infrastructure "still deters users from walking".

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