Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1530133
10 OPINION maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 4 DECEMBER 2024 The more roads and flyovers are built, the more cars there will be to occupy them THE first flyover in Malta was inaugurated in 1957 to alleviate traffic around the Portes des Bombes, Floriana. Ever since, we Maltese have continued to build a love-hate relationship with flyovers and wider roads. But is that a viable and sus- tainable solution to the in- creasing traffic congestion we continue to experience on our roads from morning to evening? Maltese keep choosing cars over other forms of transport because roads and flyovers are being built with no public modes of transport running on them. The more roads and fly- overs are built, the more cars there will be to occupy them. It has been proven that adding roads and flyovers only works for a while before making it worse than before. Car owners may be paying for the roads and flyovers, but we're not paying for many of the other costs that are a result of us driving these cars: Air and sound pollution; the resulting health hazards; occupation of large areas of land with as- phalt; alienating and ripping local communities apart; mak- ing walking a dangerous and uneasy mode of commute for many. And this is not to men- tion the thousands of euros spent on setting up road sig- nage, cleaning up after acci- dents, manning traffic signals and maintaining roads and fly- overs. Some of our badly designed flyovers have the worst traffic. They simply shift the bottle- neck and won't work. We need to think outside the box. We must revolutionise our transport system and make it truly viable and efficient, along the lines of the trans- port systems in Amsterdam or Copenhagen. And we need to start breeding a generation of eco-minded commuters. For as long as most Maltese can remember, the car has been the embodiment of the Mal- tese dream. But with so many cars and trucks on our roads, we have become slaves to this freedom. We urgently need to come up with a long-term vi- sion and strategy to reverse the irreversible ravages of urban sprawl. We can no longer continue building new communities in the same way we have over the last half century. The suburbs, while being an integral part of our nation's maturation, con- tribute substantially to our problems of air and water pol- lution, increase our health risks and decrease our quality of life. Suburbia has trapped Maltese behind the wheels of their cars. This nation and its citizens have been lulled into a false sense of security. We are bliss- fully unaware of the impending ramifications of continuing the patterns of growth that have locked us behind the wheels of our cars. Like Emperor Nero, we are fiddling away, confident that tomorrow will be better than today. We don't realise that with each new wide, long by- pass, and with each new flyo- ver, that promise slips further and further away. Our government must un- derstand that it can no longer encourage these patterns of growth by further investing in highway and utility infrastruc- tures and must find viable al- ternatives by investing in pub- lic transit. Things that can be done to come out of this mess include, controlling our population, introducing a high-speed and high-frequency public trans- port system and designing roads in such a way that cyclists can ride safely without fear. Re- grettably, in this country, even enthusiastic cyclists avoid cy- cling because of rash drivers, no dedicated lanes and virtual- ly no law to support them. In addition to investing in public transit, promoting activ- ities like walking and cycling is essential for creating healthier, more liveable cities. By design- ing pedestrian-friendly infra- structure, including dedicated bike lanes and safe sidewalks, we can encourage residents to embrace these sustainable modes of travel. Congestion pricing schemes represent another innovative approach to managing traffic congestion and reduce emis- sions. These schemes can in- centivise the use of alternative modes of transport and dis- courage unnecessary car trips. Revenue generated from con- gestion pricing can be reinvest- ed into transportation infra- structure improvements and sustainable mobility initiatives. Urban planning also plays an important role in influencing the future of transportation. By prioritising mixed-use devel- opments and transit-orientat- ed design, localities can create vibrant, walkable communities where residents can live and work near public transit op- tions. This not only reduces reliance on cars but also fosters more sustainable, resilient urban en- vironments. Transportation is the life- blood of our country. This country requires bold policy interventions and innovative solutions that reimagine the way we move within and be- tween localities. All of this will determine what we leave for the next genera- tion. It's time we answered the wake-up call. Flyovers are no solution Mark Said is a veteran lawyer Mark Said