Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1508267
10 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 SEPTEMBER 2023 JAMES DEBONO MALTA Public Transport will as of next week put into service a new electric minibus as part of its fleet electrification strategy. Carrying up to 25 passengers, the electric buses will be oper- ating on different routes and villages. At 6 metres long, which is far smaller than the 9-12m buses on the roads, it is also narrower at 2.1m, when compared to the 2.5m width of the larger buses. The pilot project will test the potential advantage of us- ing smaller vehicles in smaller localities, enabling MPT and transport authorities to learn more about the suitability of these minibuses for future use. The minibus will be initially tested on a number of exist- ing routes, such as Route 106 which operates Attard, Lija, Balzan, Birkirkara, Mater Dei Hospital, and the University of Malta; Route 103 for Bidnija, Mosta, Naxxar, Bahar ic-Cagh- aq, and Pembroke; and Route 124 which operates between Marsaskala, Haz-Zabbar, Bormla, Birgu, and Isla. Eventually, the minibus will also be tested on Gozo routes. Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia said the government was heeding proposals from many stakeholders for smaller minibuses to be deployed in certain localities. MPT operates a minibus in Valletta and an on-demand service in various localities, which has proven to be very popular with bus users. Now, several existing and new routes are being considered for the minibuses to also provide links between villages and key loca- tions. The aim is to connect villages to main bus terminals, improv- ing connectivity. The electric minibus will al- so be tested on 'on-demand' routes to establish whether it could compliment the bus fleet in this regard. Last week MPT announced a €20 million investment in the electrification of the public transport system, with the in- auguration of its first electric bus charging depot alongside the 30 new, fully electric, ze- ro-emission buses. In August 2023, a record 6 million passengers travelled by bus across the Maltese islands. A probe by MaltaToday in July had indicated that buses were becoming more over- crowded, particularly on al- ready busy routes that are also heavily frequented by tourists. Back then ministry officials had confirmed that 17 bus routes were identified as re- quiring additional capacity, and while action was being tak- en on four of these routes the ministry had promised action on the remaining 13 routes through the introduction of 30 new electric buses which start- ed operating in the past days. Electric minibus to be tested on Maltese roads next week Electric buses can carry up to 25 passengers Hondoq 'loophole' could JAMES DEBONO ENVIRONMENTALISTS rep- resented by lawyer and prom- inent activist Claire Bonello have expressed concern that a proposed revision of local pol- icies aimed at restricting de- velopment in Ħondoq ir-Rum- mien to afforestation projects, comes with a caveat leaving a window for future development on part of the site. Bonello had represented the Qala local council in its dec- ades-long legal case against the proposed development of a tourist village and a yacht ma- rina in the area, which was shot down by both the Planning Au- thority and the law courts. On Wednesday, following a gruelling 22-year battle spear- headed by environmentalists and mayor Paul Buttigieg, the Planning Authority issued the three main objectives of its local plan review to ensure the pro- tection of Ħondoq ir-Rummien. But the amendments are likely to again protracte the debate on the future of Ħondoq, as the PA aims to split the area in two: one governed by the new restrictive policy, and another where some sort of development can be al- lowed. The amendments will only be drafted following the first round of public consultation on the objectives, which will be sub- sequently reissued for another round of public consultation. In the proposed objectives, the PA is proposing that any form of development within the area of Ħondoq is prohibited and that in the future, the site should only be used for an af- forestation project. This aim will be achieved by revising local plan policy GZ-Qala-4 in a way which pro- hibits "all forms of development on the land, allocate the site for afforestation and provide clear guidelines on what this desig- nation entails in terms of works and activities". The present local plan policy being revised today allows "sen- sitively designed, high quality and low-density buildings that blend into the landscape" in the Ħondoq area. But the policy revision being proposed now also seeks to change a map of safeguarded areas in Qala, included in the local plan, where development is currently regulated by two policies namely GZ-Qala-3 and GZ Qala-4. The PA is proposing splitting the area, regulated by the two intertwined policies. And it is here that environ- mentalists are concerned with Claire Bonello already having expressed concerns in her sub- mission to the PA. The is because the proposed objectives also aim at "clearly distinguishing" between land governed by the GZ-Qala-3 policy – which is not being changed – and the GZ-Qa- la-4, which will be changed by a restrictive policy limiting any development which can be ap- proved to afforestation. GZ-Qala-3 states that the PA will "favourably consider pro- posals from public agencies, which have the endorsement of both the Local Council of Qala as well as Central Government, to upgrade beach facilities at Ħondoq ir-Rummien." But the same policy also refers to the quarry area – which was slated for the controversial develop- ment of marina resort – stating that the "preferred use is to sen- sitively develop the area" and that "tourism and marine relat- ed development may be consid- ered by the PA in this area sub- ject to sensitive landscaping'. In the absence of a specific amendment to this policy, the PA risks leaving a window for possible tourist development on a part of Ħondoq, the extent of which still has to be deter- mined. In the stated objectives of the current review there is no ref- erence to amending policy GZ Qala-3. Bonello notes that there is no clear indication that the wording of GZ-Qala-3 is to be amended to exclude develop- ment, including tourism and marine related development. "Consequently – if the map is redrawn with GZ-Qala-3 being extended to take up a sizeable part of the site presently desig- nated in orange – development will still be allowed on the site." Bonello warns that in the ab- sence of any specific, definite and numerical parameters reg- ulating height, volume, foot- print and Gross Floor Area of allowable development, there can still be deleterious overde- velopment. The same applies to permis- sible uses. "These have to be defined in a restrictive manner – otherwise anything can be considered as a beach facility, including restaurants, hotels, etcetera..." She also noted that there is no mention of what uses or activ- ities will be allowed in the sea. "If jetties or pontoons are al- lowed, we will end up with a de facto yacht marina anyway," she warns. Ħondoq plan from PA is to be split and regulated by two different policies, one limited to afforestation and one allowing 'sensitive' tourism- related proposals