13
maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 7 FEBRUARY 2024
NEWS
al Transport Hubs, should
include connections to other
sustainable modes of trans-
port, such as shared bikes and
scooters to cover the final
2.5km stretch to Smart City – a
10 minute trip by (e-)bicycle or
scooter.
FOE also called for a shuttle
service between Paola, one of
the main public transport hubs
in the south, with buses passing
every few minutes from Valletta
and the airport, to Smart City.
"Malta Public Transport has
proposed a Bus Rapid Transit
on their southern corridor, the
busiest bus route on the island,
which could connect onwards
to Smart City if implemented,"
Maas said.
FOE also called for a new fer-
ry connection between Vallet-
ta and Kalkara, with a landing
site serving Esplora, Villa Bighi
and Kalkara, and a connecting
shuttle service to Smart City.
"A large-scale development
project such as Smart City
should have a Green Travel
Plan promoting sustainable
mobility options, and frank-
ly should have been designed
from the start with sustaina-
ble transport connections in
mind," Maas said.
"Buses and the harbour fer-
ry services are offered for free
now for anyone with a Tallinja
card. Why are we spending
public funds on these services
if we do not encourage peo-
ple to actually use them? The
above proposed alternatives
would make this area more at-
tractive and accessible by pub-
lic transport."
proposal' say Friends of the Earth
Existing quiet roads along the Cottonera lines, lined by pine and carob
trees, which could be made car free (with the exception of farmers in
the area) to accommodate walking and cycling, and potentially form
part of a long discussed Cottonera lines heritage trail
