03rd March 2002

Transport must be planned before more car parks are decided upon

No more car parks should be built on the Maltese Islands before a sustainable plan for transport is adopted, Moviment ghall-Ambjent, Friends of the Earth (Malta) said today.

Government’s decision to earmark an area in St. George’s Bay should be put on hold until a proper plan for transport is agreed upon. All major decisions affecting our environment should follow a transparent consultation process and the unilateral decision to build yet another car park does not indicate a good start for Malta’s new environmental set up.

Piecemeal decisions on transport will not be helpful for Malta and an integrated plan should be worked out. Car parks, by their very nature, attract cars to certain areas, increasing congestion in their vicinity.

Since the St.George’s area is close to Malta’s only sizable nightlife area it is even more important to cut down on drinking and driving by limiting the amount of motor vehicles reaching this area. Building a car park there will discourage people getting to the area by other, more environmentally friendly, alternatives e.g. pooling in for a minivan, a number of friends in one car, public transport.

Car parks are also the cause of other environmentally damaging impacts including waste creation, especially if the car park is underground, and a degradation of air quality leading to health problems.

Malta should aim to radically improve its public transport system and encourage more and more people to use it. The government should seriously consider introducing a progressive motor vehicle tax that would directly subsidise public transport. The idea of free bus rides should be seriously considered.