{"id":4086,"date":"2020-10-22T21:30:28","date_gmt":"2020-10-22T19:30:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/?post_type=article&p=4086"},"modified":"2020-10-22T21:30:28","modified_gmt":"2020-10-22T19:30:28","slug":"ghandna-bzonn-nahsbu-mill-gdid-fuq-is-sistema-tat-trasport","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/article\/ghandna-bzonn-nahsbu-mill-gdid-fuq-is-sistema-tat-trasport\/","title":{"rendered":"We need a total transport reassessment"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Malta does not have a concrete vision for transport. A switch to electric cars will reduce pollution but it will not eliminate it.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If the government\u2019s aim is to reduce the number of vehicles on the road and replace a substantial number with battery-operated\u00a0<\/span>models,<\/span>\u00a0then\u00a0<\/span>these\u00a0<\/span>will be part of the solution. However, if we replace the current fleet with thousands of electric cars, we will simply create another environmental problem.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Switching power sources does nothing to address the vast amount of space the car demands, which could otherwise be used for green areas, playgrounds, and the like. Electric vehicle<\/span>s do not solve congestion or the extreme lack of physical activity that contributes to obesity and our poor health.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is to be<\/span>\u00a0allege<\/span>d<\/span>\u00a0that the government seems to have no interest in systemic change. It is still focused on building<\/span>\u00a0a network of new roads\u00a0<\/span>with the premise of reducing traffic congestions. Cycling to work is beneficial to our health and the environment\u00a0<\/span>but support<\/span>\u00a0from the government\u00a0<\/span>in this<\/span>\u00a0regard is weak. Also,\u00a0<\/span>the major<\/span>\u00a0impediment to a cycling revolution is the danger of being hit by a car. Moreover, a switch to electric bikes and\u00a0<\/span>scooters is<\/span>\u00a0only part of the answer. Truly, this is not a vehicle\u00a0<\/span>problem,<\/span>\u00a0but an urban design problem created by our\u00a0favoured\u00a0vehicle \u2013\u00a0<\/span>the car<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Malta should emulate other European states by adopting the concept of a \u201c15-minute city\u201d<\/span>.\u00a0The\u00a0ideal of\u00a0being\u00a0able\u00a0to\u00a0live,\u00a0work,\u00a0shop,\u00a0dine,\u00a0be\u00a0educated\u00a0\u2013\u00a0with\u00a0\u00a0all\u00a0the\u00a0venues\u00a0for\u00a0as\u00a0many\u00a0of\u00a0th<\/span>e<\/span>se\u00a0activities\u00a0as\u00a0possible\u00a0to\u00a0be\u00a0within\u00a0walking\u00a0distance\u00a0of\u00a0each\u00a0other.\u00a0<\/span>It means reconnecting people with their local areas and\u00a0decentralising\u202fcity\u202flife and services.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This could be a shift that\u00a0<\/span>our towns and villages need. It would transform our sense of belonging, our community life, our health, and employment while greatly reducing pollution, noise and danger.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Malta does not have a concrete vision for transport. A switch to electric cars will reduce pollution but it will not eliminate it.\u00a0\u00a0 If the government\u2019s aim is to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4081,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"spay_email":""},"issuem_issue":[187],"issuem_issue_categories":[9],"issuem_issue_tags":[],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"2.8.8","language":"en","enabled_languages":["mt","en"],"languages":{"mt":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/4086"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4086"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/4086\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4088,"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/4086\/revisions\/4088"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4081"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4086"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"issuem_issue","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issuem_issue?post=4086"},{"taxonomy":"issuem_issue_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issuem_issue_categories?post=4086"},{"taxonomy":"issuem_issue_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issuem_issue_tags?post=4086"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}