Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/640308
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 14 FEBRUARY 2016 15 has workers' rights at heart. Listening to Mizzi speak one gets the impression that the prob- lems are few and the situation is under control. But when was the last time he took a bus? "A few weeks ago," he says after a brief pause, but Mizzi insists that the better way to monitor the service is by following buses. "I follow buses early in the morning to ensure they're on time and no abuse takes place, such as showing they're not in service when they should be in service or fail to stop where they should. I do not blow my own trumpet but I can assure you that some driv- ers know about it because I have stopped a few." Also, Mizzi has fared badly in the annual Rate the Minister sur- vey conducted by this newspaper. Last year's survey confirmed that transport, together with the envi- ronment, are this government's Achilles heel, with only 22% of respondents judging Mizzi's per- formance as positive, down from 25% in 2013 and 52% in February 2014. Amid rising concern about traffic congestion and the state of public transport, Mizzi's per- formance was judged negatively by 34% of respondents and 'so-so' by 31%. Was he handed a poisoned chal- ice? "I'm not surprised at the survey result, because it confirms the peo- ple's major concerns but it doesn't mean that I caused the problems. I inherited them and I am tack- ling them," he says, pointing out that the survey was conducted in October when traffic problems were worsened by the opening of schools and works on the Coast Road in Bahar ic-Caghaq. "It doesn't mean that I'm fail- ing but it means that the people's concerns mainly revolve around traffic and public transport." But I point out that traffic and public transport featured highly in last month's MaltaToday sur- vey. What are his plans to reduce traffic in the immediate future? Mizzi says that he has a transport plan which stretches to 2020 and emphasises the measures intro- duced in the 2016 Budget, which he describes as the first budget to prioritise transport. "The network is what it is and a recent study has shown that the inefficiency in public transport has led to greater use of personal vehicles." Does he have specific targets in terms of reducing vehicles on the road and increasing the number of people who make use of public transport? "We cannot tell people to stop using their cars, it would never work in Malta. So we need to find other solutions, such as en- couraging car sharing," he says, underlining other measures en- couraging the use of bicycles and motorcycles. In recent months there has been increased talk of innovative alter- native modes of transport, such as an underground system and a monorail. Fantasy or reality? "We don't exclude anything but we have to look at the viability of such projects and that's what we are doing. As soon as we have all studies at hand we'll move for- ward." I turn to another of Mizzi's re- sponsibilities, which might not receive the same level of attention but could play a pivotal role in the country's economy. What are the prospects of Malta striking black gold? "For the time being, given the volatile global market and plum- meting oil price, oil exploration has taken a backseat. But big com- panies are looking at places where they can invest and which will put them in good stead for the future. And this is an opportunity for us to encourage companies to drill. We are also working together with neighbouring countries to venture in joint activities in the disputed areas. This brings to mind former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi's calls on the government to clarify whether it had "horse-traded" Malta's rights for oil exploration with Italy in return for absorbing migrants rescued in the Mediter- ranean. "It's absolutely false. I'm a re- sponsible minister and it only goes on to show that the opposi- tion is not constructive." Interview Traffic and public transport remain the government's Achilles heel but an upbeat Joe Mizzi believes he's on the right track PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD