Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/804561
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 29 MARCH 2017 4 News EU's aim to halve road fatalities by 2020 looking hard to reach PAUL COCKS RECENT EU-wide road safety statistics have shown that for the second year in a row, the number of fatalities on European roads has not improved, and meeting the target of halving the number of road deaths by 2020 is becom- ing increasingly challenging. 25,500 people lost their lives on EU roads in 2016, 600 fewer than in 2015, but the European Com- missioner for mobility and trans- port said on Tuesday that the bloc's member states needed to do more if its set targets were to be reached. The EU had said it wanted to halve the number of road fatali- ties in the EU by 2020 and to have no fatalities at all on European roads by 2050. "Our Vision Zero for 2050 is clear, now let us work to make it happen," Violeta Bulc said. "This issue is more important than sta- tistics and I promise you the Com- mission will deliver on whatever we can manage to do. The Euro- pean Union remains committed to its long-term commitment to road safety and all member states are fully on board with the plan to reduce road fatalities to zero by the middle of the century." Bulc was in Malta to attend a high-level stakeholder conference at the Corinthia Palace in Balzan, bringing together road safety ex- perts, stakeholders, and policy- makers, under the auspices of the Maltese presidency of the Council of the European Union. Jean Todt, former racing direc- tor of Ferrari's Formula One team and now special envoy of the United Nations for road safety, was also in attendance. Asked by MaltaToday if she felt that the target set by the EU's Vi- sion Zero by 2050 was actually feasible, Bulc said she remained optimistic that increased aware- ness, coupled with advances in technology, would make it possi- ble to have no road fatalities in the EU by 2050. "I believe that by 3030 we will have already moved more solidly towards car automation and more intelligent driverless cars," she said. "We will also start seeing a different methodology when or- ganising urban mobility, includ- ing more intelligent street signs and lights, that will actually com- municate directly with cars." Bulc acknowledged that the EU was not going down this road alone and said she was enjoying working closely with the UN and with Jean Todt in particular. Todt said that he had spent a to- tal of 50 years in racing but that, for him, racing had always been a laboratory for the development of high-level prototypes, which could then be transposed into the road and urban realities. "A small country like Malta too needs to adhere to what I consider the five basic tenets of road safe- ty," he told MaltaToday, "Using safety belts, no drink driving, not using the phone when driving, no speeding and wearing helmets when riding motorcycles are simple, yet crucial instruc- tions that would drastically affect the number of road fatalities" he said. Todt insisted however that no education or awareness campaign would serve its purpose without an adequate enforcement policy. "Keep in mind that the while 30km/h may not sound like much, in certain small streets, 30km/h is bloody quick," he said. Todt said road fatalities around the world have reached pandemic levels with 1.25 million people killed on the roads every year. He said EU countries were serv- ing as an example in their effort to reduce road fatalities and fo- cusing on road safety across the bloc. "I look forward to see how we can continue to work together to fulfill our vision for a safer world," Todt said. The conclusions from today's stakeholder meeting will be pre- sented to transport ministers to- morrow. The objective of this conference is to launch a political debate and outline future political direction. A Declaration on Road Safety will be endorsed during the Ministe- rial Conference. This conference, bringing to- gether Ministers and stakehold- ers, is an opportunity to discuss the current state of play in road safety, and the way forward to re- duce the number of road deaths and serious injuries. Information stands and exhibits have also been set up where road safety organisations are present- ing their work and products. PN wants new chairperson approved by two-thirds majority CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 In its statement, government said the Prime Minister will immediately embark on a consultation pro- cess to appoint a new chairper- son of an authority which will play a crucial role in election year. In reaction to the resignation, the Nationalist Party urged gov- ernment to take the nomination of the new BA chairperson to parliament, arguing that Borg Cardona's successor should be approved by a two-thirds major- ity. The PN said it was ready to of- fer its cooperation in choosing a new head that was impartial. Her resignation follows weeks of protests by BA employees, who have accused Borg Cardona of "bullying" them. Yesterday, UHM chief Josef Vella argued that the Prime Minister should intervene in the industrial dispute launched. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had argued that, although he had noted the workers' petition to remove Borg Cardona from her post as chairperson, the au- thority was an independent one and it regulates itself. However, Vella said that Arti- cle 118(6) of the Constitution of Malta clearly granted the Prime Minister the power to replace Borg Cardona, who was accusing of using bullying tactics and not showing staff any respect. Vella said that government, which prided itself on being one that listens, was refusing to lis- ten to the workers' complaints. "Even worse, it now transpires that the government is deduct- ing these workers an hour's pay for every hour of industrial ac- tion they participate in," he said. Vella said the unfairness of the situation had been made even blatant when it transpired that Borg Cardona, who earns €26,000 a year as chairperson of the BA, was also employed by the government in another capacity. Jean Todt, UN special envoy for road safety and former Formula 1 ace (left) chats with transport minister Joe Mizzi BA workers have been instructed by Union Haddiema Maghqudin to walk out of the BA offices whenever Borg Cardona shows up