Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1541360
A study on the feasibility of having restrictive low emission zones in the congested harbour areas is being carried out by the environment authority. Low emission zones are desig- nated urban areas where access by the most polluting vehicles is restricted to improve air quality and public health. A proposal for the carry- ing out of a feasibility study on LEZs in the Northern and Southern Harbour Regions was made in the National Trans- port Master Plan 2030, recently issued for public consultation. The targeted area suffers from acute air quality problems caused by heavy road traffic and narrow urban canyons. The proposal also foresees a subsequent pilot LEZ based on the study's findings to test practical measures and align with stricter EU Ambient Air Quality Directive limits by 2030. The Environment and Re- sources Authority (ERA) is leading the study, using a com- prehensive cost-benefit analy- sis to assess the LEZs' econom- ic, social, and environmental impacts. The study includes analysing the effects of LEZs on greenhouse gas emissions, noise pollution, and conges- tion. However, a Strategic Envi- ronment Assessment (SEA) of the master plan points out that a study on the potential for LEZs was already included in the Transport Master Plan for 2025. "So, at this stage, it was expected that the current TMP would have implemented such zones," the assessment notes. The SEA stresses that further preliminary assessments are in- sufficient and calls for immedi- ate, concrete measures to limit polluting vehicles in urban are- as. It recommends measurable LEZ targets aligned with the Air Quality Plan to deliver tan- gible environmental benefits. International experience with LEZs LEZs have been successfully implemented across Europe to improve urban air quality. Over recent years they have be- come a bête noire of far-right and populist movements that frame LEZs as elitist, anti-car, or harmful to drivers. In the United Kingdom, cities such as London, Birmingham, and Leeds introduced LEZs target- ing older, high-polluting com- mercial vehicles, with London expanding its Ultra Low Emis- sion Zone (ULEZ) to include all vehicle types in central ar- eas. Other European cities— Berlin, Milan, and Stockholm among them—have adopted similar schemes, often paired with incentives for cleaner ve- hicles, congestion charges, or improved public transport. Evidence from these cities shows significant reductions in nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and particulate matter, demon- strating the potential environ- mental benefits for Malta if such zones are effectively im- plemented. Transport plan calls for maximum parking limits The National Transport Mas- ter Plan 2030 acknowledges Malta's severe congestion and argues that current planning policies requiring minimum parking spaces for new devel- opments are counterproduc- tive. The resulting oversupply encourages car use, the mas- ter plan argues. It mandates a comprehensive national park- ing and travel demand manage- ment (TDM) strategy, follow- ing an assessment of parking provision. The core shift is to replace minimum parking require- ments with maximum parking limits—a measure intended to restrain oversupply, reduce the car's dominance in urban cen- tres, and promote transit-ori- ented development. The SEA goes further, urg- ing the implementation of "concrete measures to restrict parking" as part of a national strategy. It warns that without implementation targets, meas- ures risk failing to reduce car use or achieve a modal shift, leaving congestion and air quality improvements uncer- tain. The SEA calls for actionable measures to restrict parking, explicit car-reduction targets, and enforcement of green trav- el plans to ensure strategies translate into measurable re- sults. Car reduction targets The SEA identifies the urgent need for mandatory, quantifi- able targets within the Trans- port Master Plan's operational objectives. It criticises the TMP for relying on measures that "assess and study" concepts, rather than implementing en- forceable actions. The SEA recommends that objectives explicitly address reduced reli- ance on private cars, supported by measurable and enforceable targets. It also calls for specific targets for LEZ implementa- tion and concrete parking re- strictions. The SEA also notes that the TMP proposes to assess the feasibility of a Mass Rapid Transit system—a measure re- peated from the previous plan. Once again, the lack of imple- mentation targets makes its effectiveness uncertain, raising concerns the new TMP risks repeating earlier inaction. What the SEA is for The SEA on Malta's Transport Master Plan 2030 evaluates the plan's environmental impacts and ensures alignment with sustainable development goals. Mandated under the EU SEA Directive (2001/42/EC), the assessment examines the envi- ronmental effects of strategic plans likely to have significant environmental implications. The Environmental Report was prepared by Adi Associates En- vironmental Consultants Ltd, led by Rachel Xuereb, Andrea Pace, and Adrian Mallia. JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt 3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 NOVEMBER 2025 NEWS Study considers restricting heavy polluters in harbour towns, but experts urge action A proposal for the carrying out of a feasibility study on LEZs in the Northern and Southern Harbour Regions was made in the National Transport Master Plan 2030, recently issued for public consultation. Over recent years they have become a bête noire of far- right and populist movements that frame LEZs as elitist, anti-car, or harmful to drivers