Unless you have been living under a rock, you would realise that Malta is highly congested with traffic. Most probably, you encounter this problem every single day as you are leaving for work and returning home. People who commute during the day also experience several traffic jams throughout the non-rush hour sessions. Driving to work at around eight in the morning and going back home at six in the evening is a nightmare for most. Agree?
The traffic problem in Malta has been around for a long time. Malta is a small, densely populated country with a myriad of cars. Most people who work, own a car for transportation purposes. Our culture is firmly affixed with using our car to go to work and no consideration for other means of transport is considered, unless in cases of emergency. One of the main reasons as to why people are more inclined to use their own personal car may be tied to the fact that there is no other equally efficient option. Whilst there is public transport readily available at a reasonable price, the timings and frequency of our local transport may not always be consistent, hence people would arrive late to their desired destinations. This has resulted in significant traffic congestions with high levels of frustration as one flips between one gear and the other, in a symphony of gas and brake.
It is during this scenario of traffic frustration that we think about possible solutions which will rid the country of this daily ordeal. A number of efforts have been undertaken quite recently with new projects in both Marsa and Kappara respectively, however, it seems that there is still much to be desired when it comes to traffic management. In this article, we discuss a number of potential possibilities that could help manage this problem.
The Tunnel joining Malta and Gozo
The permanent linking between Malta and Gozo has been on the cards for the past couple of months now. The bridge would help make things quicker and easier for those commuting from Malta to Gozo on a regular basis for work.
Tube
If you visited London, you are most likely to have used the tube. A transportation system which is quick, efficient and predictable. Although not the most luxurious way to travel, it does the job if you want to get to somewhere on time. With that said, there may be several feasibility issues when you consider the context of Malta, where it can lead to an extremely high cost and could be difficult to implement due to our limited resources in human capital and infrastructure.
Train
If you know your history, you will understand that this is not a totally new concept. Malta had a train in the past and was around for approximately fifty years and travelled through Valletta, Msida Birkirkara, Attard and Mdina. Yet again, the same problem in terms of cost and difficulty to implement exists.
Bicycle
The Maltese do not see bicycles as a feasible option for transport. In other countries, bicycles are used by people as a means of transport to go to work. From a fuel perspective, it is also beneficial as you will end up wasting less. On the other hand however, our roads are not bicycle friendly and journeying in this fashion can be tiring and also dangerous.
Would you recommend another form of transport? Can our streets continue to hold such a high degree of traffic which is constantly increasing day by day?
