Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1513303
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 DECEMBER 2023 6 INTERVIEW 'It's more than just road projects' AARON Farrugia has no regrets for banning rental e-scooters and says cur- rent circumstances make a metro unfea- sible but instead government is invest- ing more in public transport. The Transport Minister defends gov- ernment's multi-million-euro spend on road infrastructure but insists mil- lions more have been earmarked for alternative mobility. And next year, he says, government will extend free public transport to the ferry service within the Grand and Marsamxett harbours. He captains a highly visible ministry that includes roads and traffic. It is with the latter that I kick off this interview. I ask him about the frustration caused by traffic congestion despite the big pro- jects that transformed the road network over the past decade. He does not flinch. The government embarked on a path of economic growth in 2013 and the investment in road in- frastructure mirrored the country's needs, he says. "What would be the situation today had we not invested in those road pro- jects? We would have gridlock every- where. The projects have benefitted road users," Farrugia adds. He acknowledges traffic is a headache in Malta just as it is for all his European counterparts, especially in cities. But he insists that apart from road construc- tion projects to improve Malta's Ten-T road network, government is doing a lot to encourage a modal shift. "Last year alone, the government in- vested €72 million in free public trans- port… we added 30 new electric buses to the fleet, which gave us 410 new trips a day," he says. On the metro, Farrugia says the cost to build it has ballooned to €8 billion and more and current circumstances make it unfeasible. "It's not a definite no but for the time being any investment must be done in infrastructure that exists such as public transport, incentives to encourage peo- ple to ditch their car, improvements in the road network, and the creation of a cycling and pedestrian network," he says. From 1 March 2024, a ban on rental e-scooters comes into effect with the minister saying the drastic decision was needed because operators refused to co- operate and clamp down on errant us- ers. On government's land reclamation plans, which he intends to present to the Planning Authority in the new year, Farrugia says these will be a mix of in- dustry-related projects and spaces for the public to enjoy. He hints that a super yacht marina may be one of the propos- als. He deals with road projects, traffic and public transport. But he also handles the maritime sector and is steering government's plans for land reclamation. Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia speaks to KURT SANSONE about his portfolio that hits several of this country's nerve centres.