Moviment Graffitti, Friends of the Earth Malta, and Rota have sent a second open letter to Dr Aaron Farrugia, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects; Brigadier Jeffrey Curmi, Transport Malta CEO; and Mr Ivan Falzon, Infrastructure Malta CEO; to reiterate their demand for the immediate redesign of Triq Sir Temi Żammit, Mġarr, to incorporate a safe, segregated cycle lane. This comes after an initial letter sent on the 15th of February went unanswered, following a collision between a car and a cyclist on the road’s current cycle lane. Triq Sir Temi Żammit was given a so-called “safety upgrade” in 2021, which the organisations are insisting has made the road less safe for diverse road users. It has been criticised for its unusable cycle lane since its inauguration, with Minister Aaron Farrugia facing fresh calls to redesign it last summer, when two speeding cars collided on the cycle lane.

Over the past months, these three organisations have been bringing to the public’s attention the grave need for a rethink in our transport infrastructure to increase the efficiency of public and active commuting options and make the roads safer and more inclusive. So far, the authorities’ responses have been to highlight the ministry’s work on strategy documents, such as the recent Road Safety Strategy, which unfortunately miss the wood for the trees. Publishing strategies is not enough when their actions on the ground – road widening projects, overpasses, insufficient pedestrian access, and unsafe cycling infrastructure – are supporting further car dependency at the cost of all other means. These other means – walking, cycling, public transport – would be healthier, more environmentally sustainable, contribute to social cohesion, and for a sizeable group in our society are the only independent means available to them for reasons of age, ability, or finance.

The direct result of the authorities’ actions has been the incessantly increasing rate of injuries and deaths on our roads. A recent study has highlighted how the infrastructural system that policy makers are supporting is a cause of anxiety for the majority of the population. The ministry’s inaction over inadequate past projects is also costing people’s lives and health – the accident involving a cyclist on Triq Sir Temi Żammit earlier this month would have been avoided had Infrastructure Malta conceded to redesign this road when faced with the public outcry.

The organisations are therefore reiterating their demands from last week: Urgently start the processes of redesigning Mġarr Road, and of publishing a legally binding policy document with national standards for cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, in line with top international standards, to ensure that in future, public funds are not wasted on the creation of substandard and dangerous infrastructure.

L-inazzjoni tal-awtoritajiet ser twassal għal iktar imwiet fit-toroq – iddiżinjaw Triq Sir Temi Żammit mill-ġdid!

Il-Moviment Graffitti, Friends of the Earth Malta u Rota għadhom kif bagħtu t-tieni ittra miftuħa lill-Ministru tat-Trasport, l-Infrastruttura u l-Proġetti Kapitali Dr Aaron Farrugia; lill-Kap Eżekuttiv tat-Transport Malta Brigadier Jeffrey Curmi u lill-Kap Eżekuttiv tal-Infrastructure Malta is-Sur Ivan Falzon, sabiex itennu l-bżonn immedjat li terġa’ tiġi ddiżinjata Triq Sir Temi Żammit fl-Imġarr, bl-għan li tiġi inkluża korsija tar-roti iktar sigura u segregata. Dan wara li l-ewwel ittra li ntbagħtet il-15 ta’ Frar, wara ħabta bejn karozza u ċiklist fil-korsija tar-roti preżenti, baqgħet ma ntweġbitx. L-organizzazzjonijiet qed jinsistu li l-hekk imsejjaħ ‘safety-upgrade’ li ngħatat it-triq fl-2021 għamlet aktar ħsara milli ġid. Dan għaliex it-triq saret inqas sigura għal persuni li jużaw mezzi diversi ta’ trasport. Mill-inawgurazzjoni ‘l hawn, it-triq ta’ spiss ġiet ikkritikata għall-korsija tar-roti tant perikoluża li ma tistax tintuża. Saħansitra, is-sajf li għadda, il-Ministru Aaron Farrugia kien mitlub jiddiżinja mill-ġdid it-triq wara li żewġ karozzi ħabtu fl-istess korsija.

Matul l-aħħar xhur, it-tliet organizzazzjonijiet ħadmu sabiex iqajmu l-għarfien tal-pubbliku fuq il-bżonn immedjat li l-infrastruttura tat-trasport f’Malta tinbidel. Dan bl-għan li jkollna infrastruttura iktar inklussiva, effiċjenti u sigura għan-nies li jagħżlu li jużaw mezzi alternattivi tat-trasport (bħar-rota u l-mixi) u t-trasport pubbliku.  Sal-lum, ir-risposta tal-awtoritajiet iffukat fuq ix-xogħol li sar mill-ministeru fir-rigward ta’ dokumenti strategiċi bħar-’Road Safety Strategy’. Madanakollu, dawn id-dokumenti jitilfu s-sħiħ għar-riħ. L-ippublikar ta’ strateġiji mhuwiex biżżejjed, speċjalment meta dak li naraw b’għajnejna kuljum – bħat-twessigħ tat-toroq, il-bini ta’ ‘overpasses’, in-nuqqas ta’ bankini u l-infrastruttura perikoluża għal min isuq ir-rota – qed ikompli joħloq iktar dipendenza fuq il-karozzi għad-detriment tal-mezzi tat-trasport l-oħra. Dawn il-mezzi alternattivi huma ta’ benefiċċju għas-saħħa, iktar sostenibbli, jirriżultaw f’koeżjoni soċjali, u għal parti sostanzjali mis-soċjeta’ huma l-unika mezz indipendenti possibbli, għal raġunijiet ta’ età, kapaċita’, jew finanzi.

In-nuqqas ta’ azzjoni mill-awtoritajiet qed iwassal għar-rata ikbar ta’ korrimenti u mwiet fit-toroq tagħna. Studju riċenti jiġbed l-attenzjoni fuq kif din is-sistema infrastrutturali li qed jimbuttaw il-politiċi tagħna hija l-kawża ta’ ansjetà għall-maġġoranza tal-popolazzjoni Maltija. In-nuqqas ta’ azzjoni mill-ministeru fil-konfront ta’ progetti inadegwati li saru fil-passat qed jaffettwa saħħet u ħajjet in-nies. Per eżempju, l-inċident li seħħ iktar kmieni dax-xahar bejn karozza u ċiklist fi Triq Sir Temi Zammit seta’ kien evitat faċilment, kieku Infrastructure Malta iddeċidiet li tiddiżinja t-triq mill-ġdid fuq it-talba b’saħħitha li kienet saret mill-pubbliku. 

B’hekk, għal darb’oħra, l-organizzazzjonijiet qed jerġgħu jsostnu t-talbiet li għamlu l-ġimgħa l-oħra: li b’mod urġenti jibda l-proċess għad-diżinn mill-ġdid ta’ Triq Sir Temi Żammit, u li jiġi ppubblikat dokument ta’ politika li jkun jorbot legalment. Dan għandu jinkludi standards nazzjonali fuq l-infrastruttura tar-roti u l-mixi, ibbażati fuq l-ogħla standards internazzjonali, sabiex ikun hemm ċertezza li fil-futur il-fondi publiċi ma jinħlewx fuq l-iżvilupp ta’ infrastruttura inferjuri u perikoluża.