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MT 14 December 2014

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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 14 DECEMBER 2014 News 11 running North-South and West-East intersecting at key traffic junctions and feeding at its various stops into other above-ground public transport means". This would require 'switches' be- tween different rails: a factor known to radically inflate the otherwise mod- est costs of building such networks when compared to others (such as underground railways, which involve expensive tunnelling). However there is a factor which overrides most, if not all, these issues: the traffic situation in Malta, which has nearly reached saturation point. Apart from causing daily inconven- ience to motorists, traffic also comes at a cost to the economy: time wasted stuck in traffic jams also translates into unproductive time which has consequences for the Gross Domes- tic Product. The long-term cost of failing to address this problem may therefore outweigh the initial invest- ment. Recent surveys have also shown that traffic has overtaken immigration as a number one cause for concern. And coming so soon after the 2012 bus service reform, which the Labour party (then in Opposition) had criti- cised so loudly, there were political ramifications, too. The present gov- ernment is under political pressure to deliver a practical solution to this problem, where its predecessor had failed. Deja-vu Angelo Xuereb, the man who first envisaged an elevated railway for Malta in the 1990s, seems confident that the urgent need for a solution to traffic problems will propel this umpteenth public transport project to completion. "First of all I am delighted that the government has now understood that this is the way forward," he told MaltaToday. "I saw this com- ing years ago. The country can't af- ford this constant escalation of cars on the road. It was inevitable that we would have to embark on something like this sooner or later." If Xuereb had his way it would have been far sooner. But he acknowledg- es that his original ideas would not necessarily work in today's Malta. "My original plans in the 1990s were based on the traffic situation back then, and had later to be re- vised. Now they would have to be re- vised again. A lot has changed since then." One such change is that Mater Dei Hospital – which has only been func- tioning since 2004 – must now fea- ture as a prominent strategic point in the entire network. In fact, the project now under con- sideration differs significantly from Xuereb's earlier plans, where the monorail was to be run on a circu- lar line, fed by (among others) a ferry service linking the harbours. Xuereb concedes that the idea of a north- south, east-west axis might work in today's scenario, but expresses doubts over questions that the new proposals don't seem to answer. "Whatever the details of the new system, it can only work if it is in- tegrated into a network comprising other modes of transportation. The style of motoring in Malta is not the same as in other countries, and if you're going to persuade a Maltese person not to use a car, you're going to have to provide him with a service in which he or she will never have to wait more than five minutes at a stop. Otherwise, they'll just go back to using their cars, and the project would be counter-productive." Xuereb implies that this can only be achieved if the new system is launched concurrently with a radical revision of the existing bus service. Apart from bus routes which would have to be redesigned to operate in tandem with the monorail, Xuereb also expects the buses themselves to change. He argues in favour of smaller but more regular buses, con- necting town centres to points on the monorail axis. This in turn would have to be integrated with a service running independently of the railway line to maximise options and shorten distances wherever possible. "If this were to be achieved I have no doubt that car usage in Malta would dramatically reduce; and with it we will also reduce pollution, and increase productivity and efficiency across the board." Safer and cleaner Environmental concerns are in fact another of the project's selling points. By and large, a monorail is a greener alternative than most other options (and certainly to the only service cur- rently existing on the island). Ralph Cassar, secretary of Alter- nattiva Demokratika/The Green Party, and also co-author of a report on sustainable urban mobility, wel- comes the monorail proposal as "one of this government's most forward- looking projects." "AD supports investment in high tech public transportation systems and the creation of green jobs. Of course one would have to see the details to comment on the specifics. For example I would expect any tun- nelling that might be needed in cer- tain areas to be dug under existing roads, or built-up areas to reduce or eliminate effects on the water table, for example." But if the investment means re- ducing traffic, especially in heavily congested areas, Cassar argues that it would be well worth the cost and inconvenience of a major infrastruc- tural project. "Our real 'cancer factories', which the others ignore, are areas such as Msida, Gzira, Sliema, Mosta, Paola, Hamrun, Floriana and Fgura. Road traffic is a major source of pollution with all the health problems this cre- ates." In other parts of the world, similar projects have translated into major environmental and public health gains for communities. In 2007, the Las Vegas Monorail aided in the annual removal of an estimated 3.2 million vehicles from the road and reduced emissions by more than 58 tons of carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides in one year. Concerns with noise pollution have also been superseded by modern technology: most monorails now run on rubber tires, and are very quiet. But while Cassar generally wel- comes the idea, he also points out that this project appears to contra- dict government policy in other re- lated areas. While the whole point of a monorail is to reduce the number of cars on the road, the government is simultaneously also embarking on major road-building exercises across the country. "New or wider roads don't cut con- gestion. They simply lead to more traffic jams, exacerbate emissions and erode what's left of our degraded countryside. Maybe it's hard for some people to accept these simple facts – but there's no escaping them." To reduce traffic, he adds, the mon- orail project must be accompanied by other policy decisions. "The gov- ernment must stop dreaming up new roads or widening of existing roads: if the monorail project goes ahead, all money spent on new road build- ing, flyovers and what not is money down the drain. More roads mean more pollution – it's that simple." If anything, Cassar recommends the opposite strategy: "The project's positive impact will be maximised if more roadspace along the route of the monorail, and areas within walk- ing distance from stations, are pedes- trianised, or declared low emission zones. Also there should be facilities at monorail stations for clean forms of personal transport such as pedelecs and bicycles. Providing space on the monorail train for bicycles would be a huge plus, making the system more accessible." Questions sent to Transport Malta remained unanswered at the time of going to print. solution for traffic? A monorail in Sydney While welcoming the idea of a monorail in principle, AD secretary general Ralph Cassar said that the project would have to be accompanied by other policy decisions in order to be effective

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