T-21 April Edition 2022 by peter.p.barbara

APRIL 2022 | EDITION 06

THE TRANSPORT MALTA QUARTERLY

A MOVE TOWARDS GREENER TRANSPORT WHAT ARE THE VIEWS OF TRANSPORT MALTA ON AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES?

SPECIAL FEATURE: THE INTEGRATED TRANSPORT STRATEGY DIRECTORATE

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

CONTENTS PUBLISHER Transport Malta EDITOR Peter Paul Barbara DESIGN AND LAYOUT How-Ha Ltd. In collaboration with the TM Marketing Department Malta Transport Centre Triq Pantar, Ħal Lija, LJA 2021 Malta

info@transport.gov.mt www.transport.gov.mt

Copyright : All rights reserved Copyright of all the images used in this publication remains the right of the photographer. All images: Peter Paul Barbara (except images on pages; 6, 22, 68 -71, 78-83, 102-103, 105, 109, 122- 123, 125, 128 – 129) Aerial Photography: Peter Paul Barbara/ Anna Damianou DISCLAIMER The contents of the articles in this publication is the responsibility of the respective author and it does not necessary mean that the views expressed therein are the same or reflect those of Transport Malta.

FOREWORD

ALL HANDS ON DECK

WHAT A CHALLENGING START!

IN THE NEWS

TIME FOR CHANGE

SPECIAL FEATURE: THE INTEGRATED TRANSPORT STRATEGY DIRECTORATE

ROAD SAFETY – PIONEERING VISION ZERO

NEWLY APPOINTED TRANSPORT MINISTER VISITS TRANSPORT MALTA OFFICES

A VISION FOR THE GRAND HARBOUR (AND FOR MALTA?) UNVEILED

BACK FROM THE FUTURE – STRAIGHT TO THE PAST – THE OLD MALTA RAILWAY RE-VISITED

TIMELY INTERVENTION BY THE PORTS AND YACHTING DIRECTORATE WITHIN TRANSPORT MALTA

PURSUING A DREAM

THE ROLE OF TRANSPORT MALTA DURING POPE FRANCIS’S VISIT

PROMOTING GREEN MOBILITY

REGULATING THE TAXI SERVICES SECTOR IN MALTA – THE JOURNEY SO FAR AND THE ROAD AHEAD

100

A MOVE TOWARDS GREENER TRANSPORT

110

LEARNING ABOUT SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS

120

WHAT ARE THE VIEWS OF TRANSPORT MALTA ON AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES?

122

THE CAR CULTURE: LOOKING AHEAD

132

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

A Note from the Editor, Peter Paul Barbara Peter Paul Barbara Dear Reader Welcome to the sixth edition of T-21, the first edition for 2022. As one can notice, we are slightly late on the March edition, and this was mainly due to important events which took place in late March and at the beginning of April, that is, the General Elections and the visit to Malta of His Holiness Pope Francis.

With respect to the General Elections, as we usually do in this publication, we needed to have a contribution from the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects. We thought it would be ethical to wait for the outcome of the General Elections. Secondly, we thought that the coverage of the Pope’s visit and the extensive involvement of Transport Malta should also be covered in this edition.

As we all know, today we have a new Transport Minister, Hon. Dr Aaron Farrugia, who has kindly accepted our invitation to provide us with an article, fresh from his appointment as our new Minister. Prior to his new Ministry, in the previous administration, Dr Farrugia was Minister in charge of the Environment, Climate Change and Planning, three core subjects which also have a direct link with transportation in the wider sense.

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Obviously, transportation is responsible for climate change levels as well as pollution in terms of air quality. It also affects noise pollution and the visible urban environment as well as the impact which the latter leaves on both the natural and built environments. With regard to his tenure as the Minister responsible for planning, there is another direct link between urban planning and transport infrastructure. With the appointment of Minister Farrugia as Minister for Transportation, we will also see the implementation of this Government’s work programme for this legislature, which has a massive green component built within it. The appointment of Dr Farrugia in this respect augurs well for this end, in view of his political experience within the environmental and planning side.

On the other hand, Pope Francis’s visit to Malta required a lot of logistical planning from weeks and months in advance, which brought with it a lot of input from a good number of government agencies and departments, especially the Police, Transport Malta, the Civil Protection Department, and Health Department, amongst others. Transport Malta’s involvement was spearheaded by its Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Mr Kevin Farrugia, who is also responsible for the Enforcement Directorate.

“Environment, Climate Change and Planning, also have a direct link with transportation.”

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In this edition, we are publishing an article to provide an insight on the level of contribution given to this visit by Transport Malta. The special feature in this edition is dedicated to the Integrated Transport Strategy Directorate (ITSD) which falls under the responsibility of Mr David Sutton. The ITSD is responsible for long-term development of transport strategies, among other responsibilities. In this edition we are also featuring a new unit which also falls under ITSD, set up to promote road safety. We are also running an article on the MT Chem P, which was anchored outside Maltese territorial waters when it started dragging its anchor due to the strong inclement weather being experienced at the time. The salvage operation, spearheaded by the Ports and Yachting Directorate under the direction of the Harbour Master, successfully managed to not let it run aground. Earlier in 2020, the Government had published a study and a Strategic Plan for the Regeneration of our Grand Harbour. Due to the related work being carried out by TM in this regeneration programme, we are also including an article about the Strategic Plan itself, whilst cross referencing it with other similar regeneration programmes such as that of London.

A very interesting article in this edition relates to the old Malta Rail Service. It will surely take you back eons of time, to the second quarter of the 19th Century, where the writer describes a full round trip with the train. Certainly, it brings back nostalgia to our Maltese past, at least it’s the effect it had on me when I read it, even if the train operations had ceased long before I was even born. It is also highly significant for me that this article is being published after the T-21 Special Edition dedicated to the Malta Metro proposal, as what is being proposed is a new state-of-the-art rail network. One has to remember that when the first train was used in Malta, it was a pilot project for testing the engine. Finally, we are also publishing a very interesting article penned by Mr Vince Micallef Pule’, who takes a historical look at the development of the traditional Taxi up until the present day. THE EDITOR. Peter Paul Barbara is Director within the Deputy Chief Executive Officer & Chief Operating Officer’s Office.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

“Looking back at the Authority em on/took active p number of initiat

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All hands on Deck Joseph Bugeja Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

We are currently in the 6th Edition of the T-21: The Transport Malta Quarterly Publication, which has now established itself as the official publication of Transport Malta. This is another medium besides our website and social media platforms by which the Authority is reaching out to the General Public and Stakeholders alike. Through this publication, we are also recording all the initiatives and policies that the Authority has been working on. For sure, in the future it will serve as a point of reference for transport related research for those persons interested to follow the development of transportation in Malta and all that relates to it, including infrastructure, as we are documenting every initiative from projects to policies spearheaded by the Authority.

at 2021, mbarked part in a atives.”

Looking back at 2021, the Authority embarked on/took active part in a number of initiatives, some of which were long in the making in terms of preparation. The following are some of the most notable ones. GRAND HARBOUR REGENERATION In relation to infrastructure and projects, earlier last year, the Government launched the Valletta Grand Harbour Regeneration Study, inclusive of the Malta Grand Harbour Waterfront Strategic Plan. Since then, work had already started on a number of projects in preparation for the expected regeneration as outlined in the Plan. In the meantime, work on the Shore to Ship by which berthing ships could take their energy requirements from the National Electricity Grid (the Grand Harbour Clean Air Project), is proceeding well, and the first phase of the project is expected to be ready by the end of 2023. Preparations for Phase 2 have already started and the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. The Ports and Yachting Directorate is providing its advice and support to the project, which is being carried out by Infrastructure Malta. In the meantime, as reported last year, a general cleanup of the Grand Harbour has started and still is in process, to free up the much-needed space from abandoned

and or semi-submerged vessels. Last year alone, some 16 vessels were removed, some of which have been scuttled or sold off, while those that were in such a dilapidated state were taken to shore and scrapped accordingly. Once the removal process is completed, dredging works may start to be carried out to improve the depth of the harbour and allow for larger vessels to berth. In the meantime, a number of tenders have already been published in relation to the Ras Ħanżir Wharf extension through which longer vessels up to 300m long can berth on the side of the Harbour. Works on the Deep-Water Quay and tenders for Pinto 4 and 5 as well as the Lascaris Extension have all been published. The regeneration process of our Grand Harbour will be carried out over the medium to long term as it is not a process that can be implemented overnight. Similar regeneration programmes in major cities around the world also took their time to be implemented, sometimes even between 30 to 50 years.

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A FAST FERRY SERVICE BETWEEN VALLETTA AND MĠARR On the 1st of June of last year, a new 45-minute Gozo to Valletta ferry service was launched. The passenger service is currently being offered by two operators, namely, Virtu Ferries and Gozo Fast Ferries. High-speed vessels used to provide the service are using the same terminal buildings and landing places situated at Mġarr and Barriera Wharf in the Grand Harbour which were built for the purpose in record time by Infrastructure Malta. The terminal buildings feature ticketing booths, waiting areas, cafeterias, and rest rooms. The service has since then been increasing in popularity and is also complemented by public transport routes specifically designed to increase accessibility.

SECURED RECORDS IN SHIP REGISTRATION UNDER THE MALTESE FLAG The Malta Flag continued to grow to establish itself as the largest ship register in the European Union and the sixth largest in the World in terms of gross tonnage, such that the number of ships registered under the Merchant Shipping Act totalled to 9283, for a total gross tonnage of 86.13 million. This represents a growth rate of around 2.2% over the previous year. The Merchant Shipping Directorate has also further strengthened its presence in the superyacht sector. Positive results were once again achieved in the registration of superyachts under the Malta flag. In 2021, the Malta flag registered another record increase of over 15.6% over the previous year in the registration of superyachts over 24 metres in length under the Merchant Shipping Act, with over 993 superyachts flying the Malta flag.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

THE AVIATION SECTOR The aviation sector continued to build on the successes of the previous six years. The Flight Operations Inspectorate certified 6 new Operators in 2021, with a total of 43 Air Operating Certificate holders at the end of the year. Today, risk management is a well-established discipline in the aviation industry, and Aircraft Leasing Malta aims to promote Malta as a jurisdiction for aircraft leasing services, building on an already strong aircraft registration service. A total of 150 aircraft have been registered, with 94 aircraft being airliners, including 27 widebody aircraft. 56 aircraft have been deregistered. Quite a feat was the work carried out by the Personnel Licensing Unit, which regularly conducts theoretical examinations. In 2021, it carried out 780 examinations for the Airline Transport Pilot Licence and 1150 examinations for the Private Pilot Licence. On its part, the Airworthiness Inspectorate carried out around 110 on-site audits of Part-CAMO, PartM.F organisations, Part-145 aircraft maintenance organisations, and Part147 aircraft maintenance training and examination organisations. LAND TRANSPORT DIRECTORATE 2021 marked a record in terms of the transport financial grants awarded through Transport Malta with six financial schemes for more sustainable means of private transport, with a total investment of €14 million. The Directorate continued its efforts to recover licence arrears, bringing closure to 1,739 cases, with a total recovered revenue of almost €420,000. The total Government revenue collected from vehicle registration tax amounted to €28.4 million, along with €21.7 million in VAT. Moreover, the revenue from the annual circulation licence amounted to €81.6, an increase of €3.2 million over 2020. The total revenue was that of €131.7 million.

Scheduled public transport passenger trips showed signs of recovery in 2021, with an overall increase of 4% when compared to the previous year. This recovery was stronger following the month of April, whereby during the period between April to December, a 30% increase was registered over the same period of the previous year. The free public transport measure was expanded further to include persons aged 70 years and over. Just under 70,000 different persons benefitted from this measure. Between them they generated 7.258 million trips. Travel Card holders rose to 450,000 and 86% of all passenger trips were conducted using Travel Cards. STUDY ON A MASS TRANSPORT SYSTEM AND AN INFORMAL PUBLIC CONSULTATION LAUNCHED On the 2nd of October of last year, Transport Malta launched the study for a mass transport system and a proposed light rail underground system as a solution for today’s traffic conditions. Malta Metro was proposed to the Government by the contracted consultancy and engineering group ARUP as the ideal transport solution for Malta. The first phase of the study came to a close with an initial public consultation on the proposed system. The second phase of the study is expected to start over the coming months.

“2021 marked a record in terms of the transport financial grants awarded.”

MT CHEM P I would like to take the opportunity to thank all the personnel involved in the salvage operation of the vessel MT Chem P which was at risk of running aground on the coast of Baħar iċĊagħaq after being caught in a heavy storm outside our territorial waters with 20 members of crew on board. I would like to thank the Harbour Master, Captain David Bugeja, and his team who oversaw the operation as well as the 13 crew members of Tug Malta who battled the storm to bring the vessel under control and avoid a disaster with possible loss of life. POPE FRANCIS’S VISIT TO MALTA I would also like to thank all Transport Malta officers who were actively involved in the first official visit of Pope Francis to Malta, most particularly all the staff of the Enforcement Directorate who worked hard around the clock to contribute towards a successful visit, both from the planning and logistical side as well as from the operational side, including our people who were deployed to man the roads in preparation for and during the visit itself. My thanks also go to the Harbour Master and his team at the Ports and Yachting Directorate for their involvement and work carried out with respect to the Catamaran trip organised for the Pope between the Valletta Grand Harbour and the Mġarr Harbour. CHANGING OF THE GUARDS The beginning of 2022 saw the changing of the guards as far as Transport Ministers are concerned, which took place after the March 2022 General Elections. Here I would like to salute and thank the outgoing Minister Dr Ian Borg for the support he always gave to the Authority during the time of his tenure while he was responsible for the Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects while I welcome, on behalf of the Authority, the new appointed Minister, Dr Aaron Farrugia, in his new role as Minister responsible.

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“The year 2022 st two important ev first quarter, whic only separated b

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

What a Challenging Start! Kevin Farrugia Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer

The year 2022 started with two important events in its first quarter, being the General Elections and Pope Francis’s first official visit to Malta. Two events which were only separated by a week, and which both required the input of Transport Malta’s Enforcement Directorate, especially the Pope’s visit. The preparation for Pope Francis’s visit started well in advance, in fact, it commenced a few months before; preparations which culminated in the week prior to the visit itself. Transport Malta offered all of its enforcement resources to be at the disposal of this event in order to assist the organising committee of the visit, both on land and at sea. Similar input was given by Police and LESA officers.

tarted with vents in its ch were by a week.”

Our Land Enforcement Unit had the role of making sure that the designated routes which the Pope motorcade was to pass through were cleared of parked cars. The officers also had the duty to close roads at specific junctions to make sure that the motorcade passed freely. In addition, Transport Malta had the shared responsibility to clear away vehicles which were left parked on these routes despite several notices published or indications on the road sections themselves. Our officers were also being assisted remotely from Transport Malta’s National Traffic Control Centre.

In the meantime, Transport Malta officers still had to continue with their daily assignments of being present if road closures were needed in areas where road construction or other development is taking place, as well as being present at critical junctions during peak hours of traffic.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

As far as our Maritime Enforcement Unit is concerned, all of our units were mostly deployed in the Grand Harbour and Mġarr Harbour in Gozo during the Papal visit to Gozo, to make sure that the notice to mariners issued by the Harbour Master were adhered to and that the harbours were left clear of any vessels before and during both journeys to and from Malta. During the run up to the General Elections, Election Day itself, as well as immediately afterwards, Transport Malta also offered its share to assist the Police in the management of roads and traffic. Here, I would like to thank all of our Enforcement Officers, the administrative staff within the Enforcement Directorate as well as all the supporting staff for the extra efforts they put in during the last few weeks. Our contributions and presence on the roads clearly show the importance of the Enforcement Directorate which in some cases also took over previous roles assigned to the Police.

“The investment we have made during 2021 will continue also in 2022.”

As demand for our presence and service continues to increase day in, day out, we must continue to invest in our staff with the necessary resources, including equipment and training. Our presence on the roads shows how indispensable our role has become in road and traffic management. With these thoughts in mind, we need to continue to consolidate and renew the Authority on many fronts by investing more in its workforce and the tools available to it to improve its functions as decreed by law. This process is by no means finished, it has been and will remain a continuous process over the years to come as more challenges come our way. The investment we have made during 2021 will continue also in 2022 with the acquisition of more assets and state-of-the-art equipment to make the work of our employees safer, faster, and more effective. Acknowledging the facts that the Authority is made up of people and that it is not perfect, we will continue to work hard to be of relevance every day and get closer to the general public. In the meantime, our efforts and investment by no means start and finish with our Enforcement Directorate but are implemented across all of Transport Malta’s Directorates.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

In The News Sabrina Zahra Manager C Office of the Chairman and CEO

2021: 5TH DECEMBER - TRANSPORT MALTA SPONSORS ISLAND CAR CLUB DRIVER OF THE DAY AWARD In December, more editions of the England Insurance Transport Malta 2021 Island Car Club National Hillclimb Championship took place in Mtaħleb. Transport Malta sponsored the Driver of the Day Award as it had done in previous editions of the Island Car Club National Hillclimb.

7TH DECEMBER – TRANSPORT MALTA’S SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY TEAM PARTICIPATES IN THE POLIS ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2021 The Sustainable Mobility section within Transport Malta’s Risk Management, Policy and EU Affairs Department, together with the ICT Directorate, actively participated in The POLIS Annual Conference 2021 which took place in Gothenburg. This included a stand that featured the EnerNETMob project (The Mediterranean Interregional

Electromobility Networks for intermodal and interurban low carbon transport systems), of which the Authority is a partner. POLIS is the network of European cities and regions that fosters cooperation and partnerships across Europe. It is also the voice of cities and regions towards European Institutions.

14TH DECEMBER – MALTA ELECTED TO COUNCIL OF IMO FOR 13TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR Malta has been elected to Council of International Maritime Organisation for 13th consecutive year.The election was held in London recently during the general assembly of the International Maritime Organisation.The forty members forming the council were elected from among the 176 member states of the organisation.

For more information visit https://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/ PressBriefings/pages/ElectionResults2021. aspx?fbclid=IwAR0sz1VWEfIPZtYvMnGf08DlY96ud AKlqd9ls4ZuPyy14PVrIXHX5XkhHx4

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

14TH DECEMBER - TRANSPORT MALTA’S RISK MANAGEMENT, POLICY AND EU AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT PARTICIPATES IN THE NAPCORE The National Access Point Coordination Organisation for Europe (NAPCORE) shall aim to coordinate and harmonise more than 30 mobility dataplatforms all over Europe. This initiative shall improve the interoperability of mobility related data in Europe, increase access, and expand availability to mobility related data.

26TH DECEMBER – TRANSPORT MALTA DONATES €10,000 TO L-ISTRINA Transport Malta is proud to have donated €10,000 to the yearly charity fundraiser L-istrina, with a cheque presented on the evening of the 26th of December by Clint Axisa, Patrick Pollacco and Sabrina Zahra.

The consortium includes 26 EU Member States and 3 associated partners. Malta is represented through the participation of the Risk Management, Policy and EU Affairs Department within Transport Malta. For more information visit www.napcore.eu.

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2022: 11TH JANUARY - MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MALTA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND Transport Malta informs the public that a Memorandum of Understanding between the Republic of Malta and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, including the territories of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the Bailiwick of Jersey and the Isle of Man has been finalised, signed and launched. This Memorandum of Understanding permits the two countries to exchange driving licences. With this agreement, there is no need for the holder of a driving licence issued by either country to apply and sit for a practical test when exchanging the driving licence.

All categories which are present and valid on the original driving licence will be included on the exchanged counterpart. This agreement comes into force with immediate effect and will remain in place until the 28th of February 2022. For more information you may send an email on dls.tm@ transport.gov.mt, call freephone 80072393 or visit https:// www.transport.gov.mt/Land/Driving/Driving-Licence/MoUbetween-Malta-and-the-United-Kingdom-on-exchange-ofdriving-licences-5362.

7TH FEBRUARY – TRANSPORT MALTA, THE EIT URBAN MOBILITY AND THE EMBASSY OF THE NETHERLANDS ORGANISE CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE COURSE The Authority for Transport in Malta, together with the EIT Urban Mobility and the Embassy of the Netherlands, organised a course titled Cycling Infrastructure: From Concept to Design and Implementation. This training focused on bicycle infrastructure design to promote leadership in developing sustainable mobility options

for Malta, with specific attention to road safety in shared spaces and solutions for the Maltese context, building on good practices from other countries and cities. Led by experienced experts in the field, the course was composed of online modules, interactive webinars, and on-site workshops.

8TH FEBRUARY – OPERATOR’S LICENCE FOR THE CARRIAGE OF GOODS USING LIGHT COMMERCIAL VEHICLES Transport Malta notifies that in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2020/1055 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Light Commercial Vehicles with a Permissible Laden Mass of between 2,501kgs and 3,500kgs which are used internationally to carry goods for third parties against compensation must be covered by an operator’s licence for the carriage of goods as from the 21st of May 2022.

Therefore, Transport Malta is inviting persons and undertakings using such vehicles to carry goods for third parties between Malta and any other Member State of the EU to apply for an operator’s licence. Undertakings who fail to obtain such a licence will not be able to continue their operations beyond the above-mentioned date. Contact Details to use for this purpose: Email: rtlu.tm@transport.gov.mt Phone: 25555190/99078995 More information may be obtained from Transport Malta’s website on https://bit.ly/3J6a4BB.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

11TH FEBRUARY – TRANSPORT MALTA LAUNCHES VALENTINE’S DAY MINI CAMPAIGN In anticipation of Valentine’s Day, Transport Malta published a short video on all its social media accounts as well as on the VMSs on Maltese roads to remind road users that over speeding is never justified.

The slogan used for this campaign was ‘There is no Excuse for Speeding. Travel Safe. Happy Valentine’s Day!’

15TH FEBRUARY – THE MALTA SHIP REGISTRY AND THE MALTESE FLAG’S SUCCESS In the last nine years, the Maltese Registry has almost doubled its registered tonnage. By the end of 2021, the number of vessels registered under the Merchant Shipping Act was that of almost 9,300 vessels, amounting to more than 86.1 million in tonnage. Malta will be benefiting from an investment of €6.5 million to implement a digital system in the field of maritime affairs. The Merchant Shipping Directorate has already

implemented the first digital project which will be digitising the application process of more than 100,000 seafarers by electronic means which will result in greater efficiency in the processing of these applications. The Maltese flag has maintained its position as the largest merchant register in Europe and the sixth largest in the world. The register qualified with the top 20 in the whitelist of the Paris MOU where our country was ranked 17th.

19TH FEBRUARY – JOINT STATEMENT BETWEEN TRANSPORT MALTA AND SPORTMALTA AGREEMENT BETWEEN ALL ENTITIES ON THE SPORTMALTA CHARITY MARATHON During the meeting of the Traffic Management Committee held on Thursday 17th February 2022 on Transport Malta premises, there was a full discussion on the route of the Marathon. It took into account both the proposal by Mr. Joe Micallef and the amended route proposed by Transport Malta. Members discussed the proposed routes and unanimously agreed that the route proposed by Transport Malta was safe, would cause the least inconvenience, would not disrupt public transport, and would be acceptable to athletes.

The meeting was attended by the Police, the Mater Dei Emergency Department, the Malta Tourism Authority, representatives from the Malta Chamber for SMEs, representatives from the Business Community of the St. Julian’s and Sliema areas, LESA, Malta Public Transport Officers, the Civil Protection Department, the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Infrastructure Malta, and different Directorates within Transport Malta. Mr. Micallef agreed to be part of the organising team and that the services he had already ordered could be used for the event.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

24TH FEBRUARY – TRANSPORT MALTA AND THE UAS CENTER AT SBD ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC INITIATIVE The Civil Aviation Directorate within Transport Malta, together with the UAS Center at SBD, have announced the establishment of a strategic initiative to expand the use of Malta’s outstanding infrastructure by US drone manufacturers and software providers to support their research, development, and global commercialisation objectives.

This initiative, formalised by a Memorandum of Understanding, provides a solid platform to leverage the capabilities of both entities, with the UAS Center at SBD serving as an advantageous Southern California testing and demonstration site for drone companies based in and around Malta. This partnership was made possible with the assistance of the US Department of Commerce’s US Commercial Service working in tandem with the US Embassy in Malta to facilitate the relationship between the two parties.

28TH FEBRUARY MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MALTA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND Transport Malta informs the public that a new Memorandum of Understanding between the Republic of Malta and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, now also including the territory of Gibraltar and as previously included the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the Bailiwick of Jersey, and the Isle of Man, has been finalised, signed, and launched. This Memorandum of Understanding permits the two countries to keep on exchanging their driving licences. With this agreement, there is no need for the holder of a driving licence issued by either country to apply and sit for a practical test when exchanging the driving licence. All categories which are present and valid on the original driving licence will be included on the exchanged counterpart.

This agreement is implemented with immediate effect and is not time bound. Those who have already applied with the previous Memorandum of Understanding (that was valid until the 28th of February) do not need to re-apply and may finalise their exchange through their previous application. For more information one may send an email on dls. tm@transport.gov.mt, call freephone 80072393 or visit: https://www.transport.gov.mt/land/driving/driving-licence/ exchange-your-foreign-driving-licence-4541.

3RD MARCH – LARGEST PACKAGE OF TRANSPORT GRANTS LAUNCHED Transport Malta, in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, together with the Parliamentary Secretariat for EU funds is launching the largest package of financial grants for transport in the form of schemes in favour of environment and sustainable transport. A total of around € 20 million will be available to the general public in 2022.

A total of nine grants may be benefitted from as of 1st January 2022. Applications are open and more information can be accessed here: https://www.transport.gov.mt/land/ sustainable-transport/financial-incentives-2022-5440.

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11TH MARCH – RE-REGISTRATION OF UNDOCUMENTED AND/OR DE-REGISTERED VINTAGE VEHICLES The Authority for Transport in Malta will be receiving application forms from bona-fide vehicle enthusiasts who have in their possession undocumented and/or de-registered vintage vehicles, which were previously registered in Malta. For the purpose of this Scheme, an Undocumented Vehicle is one which has been previously registered in Malta, but for which there is no available documentation. A DeRegistered vehicle is one which has either been officially de-registered with the Authority for Transport in Malta prior to the 1st of November 2013, or a vehicle which has not been brought in line with the provisions of Legal Notice 13 of 2004.

Interested persons are required to complete the application forms VEH18 and VEH15. This Scheme will commence as from the 14th of March 2022. Application forms, together with the necessary supporting documents and payments as indicated on the application forms must be deposited at the offices of Transport Malta, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Unit (DVLU), Level 1, A3 Towers, Triq l-Arkata, Paola PLA 1212, or at Malta Transport Centre, Triq Pantar, Ħal Lija LJA 2021, from Monday to Friday between 7:30am and 2:30pm. Gozo residents may deposit them at Transport Malta, St. Francis Square, Victoria VCT 1332 Gozo, from Monday to Friday between 8:00am and 1:00pm.

23RD MARCH – TRANSPORT MALTA AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MALTA CAREERS WEEK During the Careers Week at the University of Malta, Transport Malta staff met with students to provide guidance about the different employment opportunities provided by the Authority.

25TH MARCH – WINNERS OF YOUNG ARTISTS FOR GREEN TRANSPORT COMPETITION ANNOUNCED The awards ceremony for the Young Artists for Green Transport competition was organised on the 21st of March 2022 at the offices of the Authority for Transport in Malta in Ħal Lija. The winners, being Ilaria Falzon from Xewkija Primary School for Category A (Year 1 to Year 3) and Kyona Mifsud from St. Ignatius College Ħal Qormi for Category B (Year 4 to 6), were each awarded a bicycle and their respective schools were awarded a bicycle rack that caters for ten bicycles.

The five runners-up from Category A were Amy Vella, Alexander Costigan, Mikela Barun, Giulia Grixti and Ella Quintano Grech. Those from Category B were Martina Catanzaro, Andreas Attard, Katrina Muscat, Kelise Cassar, and Kylie Spiteri. An exhibition including over 400 entries submitted by students from primary schools across the Maltese Islands will be open until the 14th of April 2022 between 8:00am and 4:00pm at the Transport Malta offices in Ħal Lija.

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“I will strive to rea this much-need equilibrium to ad environmental c that we have in

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

Time For Change Dr Aaron Farrugia Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects

Having been Minister in charge of the environment and planning for the past two years has made me more aware of the importance of transport in the overall equation to address our environmental challenges: from climate to air quality, to improving our natural and urban surroundings.

Needless to say, given our environmental challenges and the environmental dimension clearly laid out in this Government’s work programme which will mark this new legislature, we need to continue on the work done by my predecessors in the field of environmental sustainability.

Our environment is greatly affected by our transport policy. Now that I have the transport sector bestowed on me to manage for the immediate future, I will strive to reach this muchneeded equilibrium to address the environmental challenges that we have in front of us, many of which Malta has agreed to on a European and International level.

During my first week in office, I took time to visit all of the entities falling within my portfolio and personally met all the employees at their place of work. Without any doubt, the longest visit was that to Transport Malta. This visit took me almost 12 hours, spread on three working days.

each ded address the challenges front of us.”

This administration will continue to incentivise the switch from conventional fuels to cleaner ones, from old habits to newer ones. Since 2014, successive administrations have started to roll out electromobility, and have gradually increased incentives to assist the proliferation of the new technologies that were being put on the market as far as green mobility is concerned. We will strive to sustain and improve these incentives until the country slowly switches to green mobility once a cut-off date for the importation of ICE vehicles is set. During my tenure as Minister responsible for the Environment, I oversaw the work of the commission set up by the Government to come up with a plausible cut-off date for the importation of ICE vehicles, a

decision which will now be taken by this administration, so for me, this will be the closing off of a circle which I started and oversaw. Now that most of the interventions and upgrades needed in our road network are almost completed, we need to start working on the second phase of our long-term programme and objectives, where addressing traffic congestion and improving our public transport system top the agenda. This Government has pledged a massive investment in the improvement of our urban centres, as well as the increase of open spaces and our sparse woodland areas. This programme is complemented by several initiatives in the transport sector, including: 1. Providing free public transport for everyone as from this year; 2. Gradually switching the public transport fleet to an all-electric one; 3.

Continuingwiththeremainingstudies, including geo-technical studies, on the proposed Metro System;

4. Introducing new sea ferry routes in the Cottonera area, Marsaxlokk, Marsaskala, St. Paul’s Bay, St. Julian’s, and Mellieħa;

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5. Introducing a passenger lift from the Marsamxett ferry landing site to Peacock Garden in Valletta in order to increase accessibility to the city centre; 6. More

cycling

infrastructure;

7. Introducing green number plates for electric vehicles to be given preferential parking and use of bus lanes; 8. More EV infrastructure;

charging and

9. More pedestrianisation projects in urban centres. Over and above, we also need to come up with new policies to promote innovative mobility solutions that cater for the specific needs of transport users emanating from an ever-changing society and different lifestyles. Wherever possible, we will promote flexibility on employment and work conditions such as promoting teleworking for those employees who can work out of the office so as

to reduce transport demand and at the same time improve the quality of life of workers in certain sectors of the economy. This, in turn, will also contribute to our environmental targets. One of the positive outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic was that a good number of jobs could still be done in an “out of office” environment”. OUT-OF-THE-BOX SOLUTIONS We also need to promote further the concept of ‘serviced offices’ for specific types of jobs, especially in certain urban centres, in order to avoid the need for one to travel to go to work. The concept of ‘serviced offices’, including those concepts such as ‘business lounges’ or ‘business clubs’ in open hybrid co-working spaces, are gaining popularity. These cut down on operational costs for the running of traditional offices, therefore we need to promote further the proliferation of these concepts in other localities other than those found in the traditional areas, meaning that one can work from them rather than reporting to the ‘conventional office environment’.

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This would create a balance between work and private life. Such concepts can be tried and tested in the form of pilot projects which can start with specific sectors of the public sector or agencies within the wider public sector. One way could be to keep employees working within walking or cycling distances of their residence in a given town or village, with the aim to reduce the need for one to travel over long distances and get stuck in traffic congestion. These are simple yet innovative solutions to keep people out of their private cars while also reducing the strain on public transport. Without any doubt, such policies will complement the other measures intended to improve the quality of life and the liveability of our urban centres. Such policies and practices would be complemented by more pedestrianisation projects in the same urban centres. The fact that during the quasi-lock down situation during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic certain types of jobs and business concerns continued to function seamlessly without any negative impacts on their daily operations, proves this fact. Such policies also need to be complemented by flexible working hours and working conditions. Over and above, we also need to promote further the concept of ‘transport on demand’, which would be implemented with novel transport solutions or the promotion of other solutions such as car-sharing and carpooling as well as collective transport with a limited number of passengers, which could be offered at a premium for those willing to use such services. These are all measures intended to sway transport users away from their own private cars. Replacing a polluting internal combustion engine vehicle with another green or electric vehicle will leave benefits for the improvement of air quality

levels and maybe climate changerelated emissions, but it will not do much when it comes to high levels of motorisation and traffic congestion. Replacing an ICE vehicle with an electric one will not do much justice to the loss of ‘possible productive time’ spent while staying idle in traffic. ON-TIME IN LESS TIME With respect to our public transport system, we need to arrive at a situation in which our system becomes more effective, quicker, and above all -- more reliable. A system that suits people’s needs. As it is at the moment, public mobility is constrained by public transport, people must plan their way of travel on a fixed bus schedule system. Just increasing the number of passengers is not enough. The service must be there to fit people’s needs and not the other way round.

In a nutshell, to have an efficient public transport system we need to arrive to this ultimate goal… on-time, in less time. Because today, time comes at a premium. Wasting time on bus stops and getting stuck in traffic is not the way forward especially if we want a dynamic and growing economy. People need to be given choices if we expect them to ditch their private cars.

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THE PARKING DILEMMA Car parking, especially on-street car parking, is already a major headache in certain localities. Onstreet car parking is one of the main reasons for traffic congestion in specific urban centres, following traffic congestion due to bottlenecks on specific sections of our road network. Hence a clear parking policy needs to be put in place. We will, with immediate effect, carry out a stocktake with the Lands Authority and identify available spaces which can be used as underground residential car-parking facilities, especially in localities where car parking is proving to be a major concern. It is our aim to provide residential parking lots intended specifically for the use of residents, especially in the evenings and during the night. Rather than driving around in circles to find a parking space upon returning home from work, one could immediately go to a parking lot and park the car there. Such a service can be complemented, possibly, by a dedicated car-sharing system which will operate from the parking facility to areas of the locality where distances are long.

The car parking issue will become a bigger problem when our current ICE national car fleet shifts to an electric one, due to the fact that vehicles need to be charged, plus the fact that there is a limit on how many charging points a street can accommodate. The situation will become more complex when a vehicle is being charged and then would need to be driven away to make space for another EV to charge, as it would then need to be parked again somewhere else. One also needs to consider the fact that there will still be ICE vehicles in circulation until the changeover to electric mobility is fully implemented. Such proposed underground car parks can easily be equipped with charging infrastructure for vehicles. VISION ZERO Reducing road accidents and road fatalities will be a major objective. A number of countries are already pledging a Vision Zero policy. During the last few years, accidents and road accident-related fatalities have been on the rise. A policy document with a set of policy measures to arrive to zero fatalities will be drawn up and implemented.

“A clear parking policy needs to be put in place.”

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REGENERATING THE GRAND HARBOUR

THE MALTA SHIP REGISTER AND THE AIRCRAFT REGISTER

Complimenting and contributing to the improvement of the environment as discussed in detail above will be the planned work to regenerate the Grand Harbour and the Inner Harbour Area. To this end, last year the Government published a study and a plan for the regeneration of the Grand Harbour, which without any doubt, once implemented, will contribute to the economic prosperity of our country. To complement this plan, the Government is already working to implement shoreto-ship infrastructure to eliminate pollution from berthing ships by having the ability to use electricity from our national electricity grid on-board; the Grand Harbour Clean Air Project.

Having dedicated so much time to land transport-related issues in my first contribution to this publication does not mean that there are no other challenges and opportunities in the transport sector which we need to take on board, especially after taking into consideration the increase in registration of both ships and aircraft, registered last year on our two respective registries. I will be outlining our vision for these two sectors in future contributions.

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Special Feature: The Integrated Transport Strategy Directorate David Sutton Chief Officer Integrated Transport Strategy Directorate

Transport is a constantly evolving dynamic sector that is fundamental to the operation of human society. An efficient transport system should be safe, affordable, easy to use, accessible to all, and comprehensive in the destinations it serves. Such efficiency requires wellplanned infrastructure and services. Yet too often, our transport networks have failed to deliver such a system. In this day and age, our travel demands are complex, the value we place on our time is high, and any delay resulting from congestion on our transport network or poor integration of our transport services are very costly

to our economy. The need for an integrated approach to transport planning, operation, and investment is more critical today than it has ever been. Furthermore, as populations grow and settlement patterns change, the transport network experiences new demands and challenges. As time flows forward, it can be said that the needs of the transport sector in the future will eventually become those of the present. It is therefore important to anticipate how the transport sector will evolve and to plan accordingly.

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“Transport is a constantly evolving dynamic sector that is fundamental to the operation of human society.”

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ITSD: A VISION FOR THE FUTURE Every trip we make requires a mix of transport modes to reach the final destination. Even a simple trip with the car, bus, or ferry also involves at least walking to and from the vehicle or transit stop. Other trips may be more complex and involve more diverse modes such as cycling, micromobility, or even car or scooter sharing. However, prior to the establishment of Transport Malta, transport planning in Malta was carried out using what could best be described as a silo paradigm. Every transport sector (air, land, and sea) was thought of independently, with separate entities having their own projects, funding streams, and milestones.

A principal casualty of the past approach to transport planning was in the provision of transport interchanges. In theory, transport terminals should provide a safe, seamless, and convenient interchange between the different modes of transport. In practice, however, the lack of integrated planning at the design stage led to world-class terminal infrastructures being developed at our airport and in the Grand Harbour with third-class connectivity to the different modes of transport, particularly public transport, which, in the pre-reform days, was hampered by a strong resistance to any service change.

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A second casualty of the silo mentality was the lack of integrated transport policies aimed at achieving modal shifts that favour public transport and non-polluting strategies. Before 2010, it is fair to say there were no real alternatives to the private car. Hence, the need for consolidating all transport sectors on a national and strategic level using an integrated transport planning paradigm that considered all elements of the sector synergistically, emerged. The last 10 years have seen significant investment in the promotion of an array of new transport services, including new bus and ferry services, electromobility, car and cycle sharing, and ride hailing services, and in the provision of dedicated infrastructure enabling or safely integrating the operation of these modes into the transport system and road network. The provision of multimodal hubs such as park and ride facilities providing convenient interchange between public and private transport have freed up areas in our city centres for pedestrianisation and embellishment. By promoting the shift from road transport to sea transport, in line with EU transport decarbonisation policies, we have created multimodal interchange hubs between ferry services, public transport, and shared transport services - all equipped with integrated ticketing and travel information for seamless connectivity between the different travel modes. Moreover, the careful consideration of the specific needs of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists has now become mainstreamed into new road design.

INTEGRATED TRANSPORT PLANNING: WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Transport is of a cross-sectoral nature. The development of a sustainable transport system requires the integration of multiple plans and policies considering areas such as urban development, environmental protection, and social equity. This also requires the bringing together of multiple elements of the transport system such as operators, institutions, and stakeholders. These elements should synergistically support each other and ensure that the quality of the transport system is better than the sum of its parts.

“The last 10 years have seen significant investment in the promotion of an array of new transport services.”

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This shall be illustrated with the following example. Every EU country has environmental targets for the reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2030. Transport is a major contributor to these emissions, particularly land transport. One of the ways to reduce the impact of transport on climate change is by increasing the modal share of public transport. However, the decision to use a transport mode over another involves a multitude of elements and push and pull factors. Increasing use of public transport requires not only improving the public transport system, but also tackling why people choose to use other modes. Naturally, both involve several interrelated factors related to land-use planning, spatial planning, and transport economics. To drill down even further, a country may have the most advanced public transport system in existence complete with even automated vehicles. However, if buses are stuck in traffic or not punctual, most people would probably not choose to use them. If walking to and from bus stops is not pleasant, people would be less inclined to consider making a journey by bus. Furthermore, if use of the private car is too easy compared to that of public transport, it is only natural that one mode will be chosen over the other. And unfortunately, one of these modes is much less environmentally friendly than the other.

“The Public Transport Reform, despite having a shaky start, completely modernised the public transport system.”

Integrated transport planning is not easy. There are budgetary, economic, political, institutional, and social acceptance factors to consider with every measure, policy, or project. However, ITSD’s function is to forge a way forward and, through consultation and communication, find the best way to lead the transport sector into the future. THINKING STRATEGICALLY Since its inception in 2010, the ITSD has spearheaded several projects and reforms to improve the sector. The Public Transport Reform, despite having a shaky start, completely modernised the public transport system. Compared to that of 15 years ago, the current operator has a modern fleet of vehicles, bettertrained drivers, offers greater mobility and connection options, and the system has bus stop infrastructure with passenger information systems. Indeed, the public transport system, up until the onset on the COVID-19 pandemic, served around 57 million passengers annually, representing a patronage increase of almost 100% since 2010. Reforms of unscheduled transport services such as taxis also modernised the sector, improving standards and quality of service. Other projects during this early period included the finalisation of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan for Valletta - an integrated land use and transport plan which included: pedestrianisation of several key streets in the capital city, redesign of the main bus terminus, relocation of on-street parking to a new park and ride facility on the outskirts of the city, introduction of vehicle restraint through the CVA system, provision of new harbour ferry services, and reintroduction of vertical connectivity to the capital from the Grand Harbour. With all the measures in place, Valletta has become a less congested, healthier, more pleasant place to visit, live, and work in.

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However, despite these important national projects, it was noticed that there was a need for a comprehensive long-term plan that took stock of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to every transport sector and, through measures, projects, and investments, formulate a holistic and integrated framework to create a sustainable transportation system that would meet long-term cross-sectorial targets. Naturally, a plan of this nature would need to consider transport planning at a national level. Although various Local Plans existed which did consider transport issues, they often only considered issues within their boundaries, and they failed to consider the effect of how regions interacted with one another. Furthermore, they often did not plan for the long-term and had no targets or indicators.

The Transport Master Plan and National Transport Strategy Published in 2016, the National Transport Strategy 2050 (NTS) and Transport Master Plan 2025 (TMP) were born of this need. While the NTS serves as a visionary document that provides policy guidance for the development of the sector into the long term, the TMP formulated a holistic implementation plan for investments within the transport sector over the 10 period until 2025. The TMP includes 174 measures that take into consideration air, land, and sea transport. It defines clear project pipelines for studies, as well as infrastructural, organisational, and operational changes for the sector until 2025. In addition to this, the TMP defined operational targets for several indicators of economic, environmental, and social sustainability.

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The time is now ripe for a midterm review of the Transport Master Plan. Expected to be completed in 2022, the TMP will be extended to 2030 and will take stock of the status and progress towards the implementation of the various measures for air, land, and sea transport. The Master Plan must also be aligned to a wider policy framework, such as the EU’s Cohesion Policy for 2021-2027 as well as its Climate Target Plan for 2030. In addition, the TMP must also take into consideration the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) and Malta’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which set out specific objectives in meeting Malta’s target for a 19% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2030. Naturally, the decisions on which measures to include in the TMP are not derived from so-called gut-feeling or assumptions. To meet these policy objectives, the update shall again involve an extensive and robust transport modelling exercise. Individual measures shall be modelled, appraised, and assessed to produce packages of measures that will best meet both national and EU targets and objectives. To complement this exercise, the update of the National Transport Model (NTM) is another major project that will occur over the next few months.

“The NHTS provides indispensable information about the ways in which the transport system is utilised.”

National Transport Model The National Transport Model (NTM) is a powerful tool that the ITSD uses to inform and guide the development of national transport policy and the development of the TMP. The NTM simulates network conditions across Malta and Gozo in present and future modelling scenarios. The first version of the NTM was developed in 2015 and is continuously being improved and maintained by Transport Malta, with the previous major update occurring in 2019. Every update must take into consideration any changes to the transport network and system, including new policy and projects. It is a complex multi-modal model that requires a large amount of data to develop, test, calibrate, and validate its results. The ITSD shall be undertaking a new update in 2022, coinciding with the review of the TMP. There are different types of scenarios that are modelled by the NTM. The baseyear scenario, for example, reflects a simulation of present conditions. On the other hand, forecasting scenarios reflect a simulation of future conditions. Forecasting scenarios are further split into do-nothing and do-something scenarios. In the former, the transport system is unchanged to observe what would happen in the future if the status-quo is maintained. In the latter, changes to the transport system are included in order to observe the effects of new policies and interventions. For example, one might want to analyse the effect of a future package of measures involving new transport services (e.g., a metro system) and infrastructure interventions. The NTM therefore allows us to discern a variety of indicators across different scenarios related to the transport system. For example, the NTM can be used to quantify vehicle flow and congestion levels on individual roads and at a national level. In addition, the NTM can forecast likely public transport usage, as well as changes in trip distances and journey times for multiple modes. These are all extremely important indicators that will allow us to appraise various proposed measures to be included into the updated TMP.

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Figure 1: Map of the urban hub in the ‘Do-Something’ 2025 scenario showing congestion values. Last updated in 2018, the NTM and its scenarios will undergo the next update this year. National Household Travel Survey Intertwined with the development of the NTM, the National Household Travel Survey 2021 was also conducted in October and November 2021. Malta has undertaken a National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) roughly every 10 years since 1989. The survey is distributed to a statistically representative sample of the population of Malta, in which respondents are asked a series of questions about their travel characteristics and habits. Integral to the survey is the filling out of a Trip Diary, cataloguing a respondent’s trips during a typical weekday.

The NHTS provides indispensable information about the ways in which the transport system is utilised. This includes data such as the relative modal share of each travel mode, which demographic profiles utilise these modes, as well as time, origin, and destination information about each trip. By identifying patterns in survey data, further analysis can be performed to identify the cause of these patterns and develop transport policy, infrastructure, and services accordingly. In addition to its importance from an analysis perspective, this data is also key to the development and accuracy of the NTM.

The updating of the NTM and TMP, as well as the conducting of the NHTS, represent three projects fundamental to the development of long-term national integrated transport planning policy. These intertwined projects provide an indispensable set of tools that will accurately inform on and predict future scenarios, allowing us to make important decisions for the sustainability of the transport sector in the coming years. The importance of these projects cannot be underestimated, as they shall guide transport’s contribution to the physical, environmental, social, and economic development of the Maltese Islands over the next decade.

Figure 2: The NHTS provided a wealth of travel information for a representative sample of the population of Malta and Gozo.

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DEVELOPMENT OF MALTA’S TEN-T NETWORK - AN INTEGRATED APPROACH The EU’s Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) policy aims at building an effective, EU-wide, and multimodal transport network across the EU. It comprises railways, inland waterways, short sea shipping routes, and roads linked to cities, maritime and inland ports, airports, and terminals. Since 2011, the Directorate has been instrumental in coordinating the application of EU TEN-T policy in Malta by identifying the transport infrastructure that has high added value at European level.

Malta’s TEN-T network comprises a Core network (which is of the highest EU strategic value) which includes the maritime ports of Marsaxlokk and Valletta, Malta International Airport, and the road network connecting Marsaxlokk, Ħal Luqa, and Valletta, and a Comprehensive network which includes the maritime ports of Ċirkewwa and Mġarr and 90km of road network in Malta and Gozo. Maritime, road, and air transport infrastructures designated on Malta’s TEN-T network are fully eligible for EU co-financing under EU Cohesion Policy and the Connecting Europe Facility. The Directorate has been integrally involved in disseminating information, aligning projects with the European Green Deal objectives and the climate targets of the EU Climate Law, and providing technical and administrative guidance in preparing and promoting Malta’s project applications for EU funding.

Figure 3: The TEN-T Network. Visible is both the Core and Comprehensive network.

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SAFETY FIRST Road safety featured prominently under the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU. The Directorate was actively involved in the Chairing of the EU Working Party for Land Transport and in organising its extensive stakeholder consultation carried at European level. This culminated with the signing of the Valletta Declaration on Road Safety by European Transport Ministers in March 2017. The Valletta Declaration on Road Safety sets out the EU principles, as well as the range of areas and actions that Member States must pursue to save lives and reduce the number of serious injuries on EU roads, with Transport Ministers affirming commitment to halve the number of road deaths between 2010 and 2020 and setting a new target for the reduction of serious injury accidents between 2020 and 2030.

Following the establishment of Infrastructure Malta (under Chapter 588 of the Laws of Malta), the operational functions of the EU Road Infrastructure Safety Management (RISM) Directive were subsumed by this new agency. Naturally, a separate body was needed to perform the regulatory functions in respect of road safety, and these were onboarded in 2019 by the ITSD. Oversight of road safety audits and the carrying out of network-wide road safety assessments and safety inspections on Malta’s TEN-T road network is managed by a small team of road safety professionals and safety officers, specifically trained in this highly specialised area with technical assistance from the European Investment Bank.

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Road Safety – Pioneering Vision Zero Liz Markham Senior Manager Integrated Transport Strategy Directorate

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“Europewide, more than 40,000 people die each year as a result of road accidents.”

INTRODUCTION TO ROAD SAFETY The Valletta Declaration on Road Safety was signed in Malta by the Transport Ministers of the EU Member States on 29th March 2017 to reconfirm their commitment to improving road safety, targeting to halve the number of road deaths and the number of serious injuries in the EU. According to data recorded by the National Statistics Office, the average number of reported road traffic accidents occurring on the Maltese roads is that of 44 per day. The highest number of road traffic accidents occurring in one single day was that of 54, recorded in mid-June 2019, when 380 total accidents were registered in one single week.

Europe-wide, more than 40,000 people die in the EU Member States each year as a result of road accidents, and 1.7million persons become injured. These accidents are the major cause of death in the under 45 age group and cause more deaths than heart disease or cancer.

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In general, a safe road system is achieved when three factors - vehicles, roads, and road users - interact in a safe manner. Although ultimately it is the Authority for Transport in Malta’s target to ensure safety in building and maintaining roads, the end result is a consequence of the three components together and all road users form part of this collaboration so that safety is materialised and the target of all components is instituted. The European Union had set out targets that by 2020 road deaths should be reduced by 50% (compared to the 2010 baseline) and that by 2050 the number of road deaths should be close to zero. It is also likely that the European Union will set a target for the number of severely injured people, but so far, the exact figure has not been decided except for that by 2030, the number of serious injuries will be halved from the 2020 baseline. Regardless of which figure will be decided at a European level, new areas of action will be in focus, and Transport Malta will have a central role in attaining these new targets.

In its communication on the European Road Safety Action Programme of June 2003, the European Commission announced that it would take initiative on encouraging road infrastructure safety. Subsequently, the European Parliament invited the Commission to provide guidelines for high-risk spot management and road safety audits. Following this, Directive 2008/96/ EC of November 2008 on Road Infrastructure Safety Management has been endorsed with the objective to ensure that safety is integrated in all the phases of planning, design, and operation of road infrastructure in the Trans-European Road Network (TEN-T). The Directive requires that all Member States, including Malta, undertakes Road Safety Audits, Road Safety Impact Assessments, Road Safety Inspections, and highfrequency Collision Investigations on the TEN-T roads at least once every three to five years.

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“In the future more emphasis will be on the vulnerable road users.”

It is recognised that for many years the focus of road accidents was primarily on car drivers and passengers, but the concern has shifted also towards the number of fatalities and serious injuries among pedestrians and cyclists, so much so that in the future more emphasis will be on the vulnerable road users, an extensive category that encompasses pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and persons with disabilities or reduced mobility and orientation.

ANALYSIS OF CRASH DATA AND SAFETY RANKING OF THE ROAD NETWORK

It is important for Transport Malta to ensure that the needs of vulnerable road users are incorporated in the entire road system. Furthermore, planning should be adapted to provide for these new categories of vulnerable road users, such as those using electric assisted bicycles and scooters. It is a well-known fact that in many countries, injuries of cyclists and other vulnerable road users are heavily underreported and the target of vision zero has therefore become extremely challenging and unless efforts are made by all concerned, this vision may become difficult to meet.

Maltese roads have developed significantly over the last years due to investments in road infrastructure, but statistical data still proves that there are challenges to be met, both to maintain an already high level of safety as well as to perform better. The Integrated Transport Strategy Directorate within Transport Malta has been entrusted to carry out road safety inspections in terms of the Road Infrastructure Safety Management (RISM) Directive and Reg. 8G of SL499.57 and is directly responsible for the road network called the Arterial and Distributor Road Network.

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The “‘Network Safety Ranking’ means a method for identifying, analysing and classifying parts of the existing road network according to their potential for safety development and accident cost savings”. To rank the roads in which order they should be inspected during the three-to-fiveyear span, there is a collaborative process between the Malta Police Force, the Malta Statistics Authority, and Transport Malta. The process followed is that primary data is collected by the Police when road accidents are officially reported. The Police sends regular reports to the Malta Statistics Authority which in return organises all the statistical data and sends the analysis to Transport Malta accordingly. This collaboration demonstrates the need to work together to broaden road safety aspects nationwide.

Source: Ms. Claudia Kemper

“The long-term objective is that no one shall be killed or seriously injured in traffic accidents.”

The major grounds of accidents may not be directly related to the road network, but may be related to various factors such as driver behaviour, vehicle failure, infrastructure, weather conditions, distractions whilst driving especially when using mobile phones or if the driver is tired, over speeding, or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs which continues to be among the major causes of road traffic collisions and accidents. There are other contributing factors, for instance failing to comply with traffic lights and traffic signs, likewise by pedestrians, meaning that as each and every one of us is a road user in one way or another, the responsibility and behaviour is a shared effort and strict attention should be given for the sake of safety. The ITSD promotes the undertaking of in-depth investigations using relevant samples of traffic collisions/ accidents and analyses data to identify priority areas for intervention. The data received is divided into three categories according to accident type, that is, whether there are grievous injuries, slight injuries, or fatalities. The ranking of high accident concentration sections is defined as a method to identify, analyse, and rank sections of the road network which have been in operation for more than three years and upon which a large number of fatal accidents in proportion to the traffic flow have occurred. In some cases, even reducing the speed limit by a mere 10km/h in highrisk areas makes a difference and therefore saves lives.

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SETTING UP A ROAD SAFETY INSPECTION TEAM

The RSI usually consists of three steps:

In preparation for the transposition of the amended EU Road Infrastructure Safety Management Directive into national legislation, entering into force on 17th December 2021, the Integrated Transport Strategy Directorate invested in a dedicated Road Safety Inspection (RSI) Team to embark on and carry out periodic road safety inspections on Malta’s TEN-T road network, which will complement the more frequent routine inspection and maintenance being carried out. In order to be efficacious, the Authority has also invested in and procured the right tools and equipment to assist its Officers when undertaking these inspections.

Office preparations: collecting information on the road (traffic data, design drawings, speed level, etc.).

ii.

On-site visits being the core activity of the inspections where numerous safety features such as design elements, road construction, road signs and markings, speed, pedestrian crossings, user behaviour, etc., are monitored and reported upon through dedicated checklists prepared appropriately for the site to be inspected, and divided according to whether the site is a road, a junction or a tunnel. These inspections are carried out both during the day and at night to capture potential road safety issues, under all driving conditions.

According to Directive 2008/96/ EC “‘Road Safety Inspection’ (RSI) means an ordinary periodical verification of the characteristics and defects that require maintenance work for reasons of safety”. RSIs are formal, detailed safety checks of existing roads and are carried out periodically as a preventive safety procedure. It is useful to prioritise the roads to be inspected from data on accidents, and in many cases accident statistics/data are a step in preparing and conducting the RSI.

iii. Drafting of a report with descriptions of the inspected road section, a list of deficiencies detected during the first two steps and then putting forward proposed recommendations for remedial action. Such recommendations will be reported to the entity responsible for taking the necessary remedial action.

CONCLUSION The goal for road safety is to move towards Vision Zero, whereby the long-term objective is that no one shall be killed or seriously injured in traffic accidents and that eventually the design, function, and use shall be adapted to the standards this requires. Vision Zero is an approach wherein responsibility for safety is shared between individual transport users and owners. If users do not follow the rules, for reasons such as lack of respect, knowledge, acceptance, or capacity, the system shapers will continue taking further measures to the extent required to prevent deaths and serious injuries. Consequently, it is imperative that all road users must work together to contribute to and reach the 2030 targets before moving forward to the 2050 goals.

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Newly Appointed Transport Minister Visits Transport Malta Offices

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A few days after being appointed Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, Dr Aaron Farrugia made his first official visit to all the Transport Malta offices. The first visits took place on Tuesday 5th April, starting with the Malta Transport Centre in Ħal Lija which was immediately followed by a visit to the Paola offices, including the National Traffic Control Centre. At the Malta Transport Centre, Dr Farrugia was welcomed by the Authority’s Chairman and CEO, Mr Joseph Bugeja, as well as Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer, Mr Kevin Farrugia. Also welcoming the Minister were all the Chief Officers of the Authority.

Two days later, on Friday 8th, Dr Farrugia paid visits to the remaining staff working on the other premises of the Authority in Marsa, Belt il-Ħażna, and the newly refurbished Sa Maison offices. During the visits, Dr Farrugia, who was accompanied by the Chairman and CEO and Deputy CEO and COO, made it a point to go to each office and personally meet all the members of staff of the Authority, whereby he thanked them for all the work they carry out.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

A Vision for the Grand Harbour (and for Malta?) Unveiled Peter Paul Barbara Director Special Projects Office of the Deputy Chief Executive Officer & Chief Operating Officer

Earlier last year, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Dr. Ian Borg unveiled the Government’s vision and future plans for the regeneration of Malta’s iconic Grand Harbour, through the publication of the Valletta Grand Harbour Regeneration Study, which includes the Valletta Grand Harbour Waterfront Strategic Plan. After past lukewarm attempts to give a new lease of life to our main harbour starting back in 2007, the Government has now studied and remastered past plans into a new holistic Grand Harbour Regeneration Plan, a new vision on steroids if you will. Urban regeneration and rejuvenation programmes of this type in specific derelict zones in any

city are required, in order to give a fresh lease of life for future social and economic prosperity. What has been published so far is a very highlevel document which singles out potential future interventions and investments that can be carried out over time. Once these interventions are decided upon and locked in place, then more detailed plans should be drawn up. As we can compare such programmes with other ones happening in other cosmopolitan cities such as Milan and London, this is a medium- to longterm plan.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

“Urban regeneration and rejuvenation programmes of this type in specific derelict zones in any city are required.”

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

TWO REGENERATION PROJECTS – A CONTINENT APART There is a multitude of examples one can study and learn from in regeneration projects of this type, carried out or being carried out in major cities around the world, especially in areas within which heavy industry, such as Docklands, were located. These concepts are very similar to our Grand Harbour, but in the meantime we must take note of the surrounding and unique historical landscape. A case in point is the regeneration process that the ex-London Docklands area underwent. This process started back in 1981 with the formation of the London Docklands Development Corporation (LDCC) set up by the British Government under section 135 of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act of 1980. Today, 41 years later, everyone can see with their own eyes how the area was transformed, in today’s London’s Canary Wharf. Canary Wharf today hosts London’s Financial Centre. It boasts over 300 shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants with an all-yearround events programme.

Canary Wharf is just one example. The London regeneration programme clearly shows that such projects take time to be implemented. It also shows (as in other cities) that such programmes also include forward transport planning which in turn exposes how transport systems such as a Metro system are not completed at one go, and that such systems are implemented and scaled up over time. When one criticizes the fact that such systems take between 20 years or even more to be implemented, it is absolutely normal. The London Metro for example (similar to all other metro or any other transport systems such as those of Milan, Copenhagen, etc.) is still being developed as the “city” continues to re-generate itself. London’s Metro System being one of the oldest in the World is a case in point. Metro systems are scaled projects implemented over time and are carried out according to budgets, demand, and long-term landuse planning. The Canary Wharf Development also included Cross Rail and an extension of the Metro line station, Canary Wharf.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

“The London regeneration programme clearly shows that such projects take time to be implemented.”

In London itself there is a multitude of regeneration programmes that one can cite as examples, including the transformation of the Bankside Power Station on the South side of the Thames which now hosts the iconic Tate Modern, a project completed in the year 2000 and which became, that same year, the most visited and most popular museum in the World with 5,250,000 visitors during its first year of operation. Later on, Tate Modern underwent a £260m transformation to refurbish areas of the Bankside power station building previously unused by Tate. This included the southern Switch House and the Oil Tanks underneath, as well as the creation of a new brickclad, 64m, eleven-storey extension a highly anticipated new space for the public. A project which saw also the involvement of the designers of the

Malta Metro project proposal - ARUP. Throughout its existence, the LDDC regenerated an area of 22 km2 including areas in the London Boroughs of Newham, Tower Hamlets, and Southwark. The LDDC also helped create the Canary Wharf, the Surrey Quays Shopping Centre, the London City Airport, ExCeL Exhibition Centre, and the London and the Docklands Light Railway line, bringing more than 120,000 new jobs to the Docklands and making the area highly sought after for housing and offices, therefore making it a success and a model of how largescale regeneration projects can be carried out.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

SIMILAR TRAITS?

GRAND HARBOUR CLEANING

There are similar traits (although not comparable in size and influence) between our Inner harbour area and London’s Docklands, which at one point in time were the largest and most successful docklands in the world, employing thousands of people in international trade, warehousing and related trades, and fuel storage facilities and power plants. Similarly, both in Malta and in London, the areas in question during World War II suffered heavy blitz in an attempt to destroy the infrastructure present at the time. Similarly, in the postwar era, both locations underwent a demise especially in ship building and repair, with the areas undergoing a long period of decline.

Back to 2022, throughout the past months, Transport Malta has been actively involved in an extensive clean up exercise around the Grand Harbour, especially from all kinds of materials ranging from half submerged vessels and other derelict boats and ‘art effects’ which were left abandoned in areas around the Grand Harbour Coastline.

On the other hand, in 2010, Malta Shipyards Ltd. was dissolved, and the facilities were handed over to Palumbo Shipyards. In the meantime, a few years prior, the Government had set up the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation with the aim to transform the Capital City and the adjacent urban surroundings, including the Grand Harbour. Unlike the London example, in Malta the Drydocks industry is still thriving, with the respective facilities still being operational.

For this reason, in previous editions of this publication, we only took an extensive look at the operations being undertaken by TM in this general clean up exercise, but did not take a detailed look at the proposals themselves, or rather, the overall vision for our main Harbour. THE VISION FOR THE GRAND HARBOUR The vision and plans for the Grand Harbour put forward by the Government in 2021 are extensive and include, amongst others, the regeneration of existing quayside buildings for recreational activities, the extension of the Cruise Terminal, and the shifting of cargo activities on the Kordin Side.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

One of the most important projects that are listed in the document is without any doubt the restoration of Fort Ricasoli and the line of fortifications leading to it in Kalkara after being left to its own devices for ages, battering the storms that continue to assault it year on year. The extensive damage that the fort has endured is there for everyone to see, and without any doubt it is about time that restoration works are carried out before more extensive damage is done. Of great interest is also the current oil tank cleaning farm which is expected to be relocated and which will instead host a family park. The removal of this chemical cleaning plant at the main entrance of the Grand Harbour is a must-do if the whole area will be upgraded, as it is a massive eyesore and does not complement the area by any stretch of imagination. The vision and plans were presented in a 76-page document, apart from which a separate study on the ex-Marsa Power Station site, though not published, has also been drawn up. The presented vision seeks to strike a balance between industrial, commercial and leisure/entertainment/cultural activities, which one would expect in the context of the area. The vision seeks to create new spaces for maritime activities, introduce new recreational areas as well as the overall rehabilitation of historic sites and cultural heritage, all of which are of high value added.

For example, a project directly linked to transport infrastructure includes connecting together the two existing quays on the Kordin side into one large quay through the reclamation of the missing stretch of land, by which, once ready, the area could accommodate more cargo vessels. Another infrastructural transport related project includes the extension of the cruise liner terminal inwards and the transformation of the area known as il-Marsa Menqa into a yacht marina or berths for large yachts, including recreational facilities, close to the potato shed area. Such yachting berths will complement similar yachting facilities and marinas on the Cospicua-Vittoriosa coastline and in Kalkara. Concurrently, the Government, through Infrastructure Malta, has already started the Clean Air Project through which berthed ships in the Port will be supplied with electricity from the national electricity grid so that they can switch off their engines, thus reducing air pollution in the area through a technology known as on-shore power supply or coldironing in naval terminology. The €50 million Grand Harbour Clean Air Project is expected to cut over 90% of the air pollution that cruise liners and Ro-Ro ships produce when visiting the Grand Harbour.”

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

For the purpose of the Vision and Plan, the area making up the Grand Harbour is divided into nine areas of intervention as explained by Minister Borg’s words during the launch of the document; “In this vision, we are looking at nine specific zones in the Grand Harbour, which areas, even with the contribution of the private sector, will put Malta on the next level so that our port will remain a source of economic and social activity.” Through a separate study carried out on wave patterns in the Grand Harbour, it is also being proposed that a wave breaker is created beneath the Great Siege bell to minimise the reflection of waves that negatively impact the opposite side of the port. Plans for this have already been presented to the Planning Authority. In his introduction, Minister Borg said that the Government has embarked on this regeneration project not only to conserve its important areas but also to maximise the contribution that our Grand Harbour can give to our nation, including the creation of new opportunities for the communities that live around it. Minister Borg continued saying that, “the first scope of the study focuses on both the foreshore and the immediate hinterland. The second scope will put one of our budget measures into practice; to reimburse a total regeneration of a particular area, in this case, the Marsa ex-power station. The third and final scope focuses solely on the Grand Harbour’s coastal defences where improvements are outlined to ensure a stronger, more durable coastal defence.”

He also said that “this ambitious project will take Malta and Gozo to the next level. With these upgrades we will bring the Grand Harbour back to the centre of our nation’s social, cultural, and economic activities. Redeveloping this area will not just boost the local economy, but it will create a better quality of life for the thousands who live in this area who were left abandoned for decades. In this way, we can look forward to a new prosperity”.

“This ambitious project will take Malta and Gozo to the next level.”

THE THREE MAIN AREAS OF THE STUDY The Valletta Grand Harbour Regeneration Study has focused on three main pillars: • • •

A Waterfront Strategic Plan for the entirety of the Grand Harbour A Land Use Strategy for the Marsa Ex‑Power Station Area A Wave Agitation Study Review

THE VALLETTA GRAND HARBOUR WATERFRONT STRATEGIC PLAN The document makes reference to the Valletta Grand Harbour Strategic Plan which has the following main objectives: 1. Rationalise the port’s activities and services in order to optimise the ratio of land take to economic return, and ensure sustainability of historic, natural, and marine resources. 2. Propose a land use strategy where port-related and industrial activities occupy less than 50% of the study area. 3. Increase the port’s capacity for passenger transport.

4. Revive the waterfront and historic urban fabrics by creating two themed promenades: “The Grand Harbour Outdoor Museum” connecting St. Elmo to Marsa and “The Three Cities Promenade” between Ricasoli and Senglea. 5.

Improve walkability through the beautification of streetscape and public realm along the proposed promenades and implement recreational and cultural activities (e.g., outdoor museum, F&B, popup venue, etc.).

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

LAND USE STRATEGY FOR THE MARSA EX-POWER STATION SITE The Marsa Power Station Land Use Strategy is comprised of the following areas: 1. Site Analysis: site plan and pictures, topographic and bathymetric analysis, geotechnical assessment, land use plan, development controls and building regulations, socioeconomic environment, road network plan, wet utilities networks, dry utilities networks. 2. Market Consideration and Best Use Recommendation: brief overview of the real estate market, local development trends, iconic waterfront developments. 3. Urban Development Framework: opportunities and constraints for development, overarching design principles, land use program, and development brief.

Development Alternatives: concept master plan option 1, concept master plan option 2, comparative analysis.

Development of Preferred Land Use Strategic Option: illustrative regeneration, plot subdivision and numbering plan, development brief, plot development matrix, land use plan and budget, building height plan, site cross-sections, roads and traffic, wet utilities networks, power and telecom, massing.

Urban Design Guidelines: urban design framework plan, main landscape plan.

The Wave Agitation Study Review has holistically analysed several previous studies carried out to assess wave agitation within the Grand Harbour.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

Nine Waterfront Area Segments for Development Vision:

AREA ONE

DEVELOPMENT VISION

Conference Centre Foreshore Lascaris Wharf Barriera Wharf

1. Construction of an additional coastal defence of an underwater berm as proposed in the Wave Agitation Study Review. 2. Adaptive re-use of some of the quay-side buildings on Barriera Wharf. 3.

Creation of a recreational suspended deck on the quayside of Barriera Wharf.

4. Creation of a passenger Ferry Deck. 5. Reconsideration of mooring points for lay-by vessels. 6. The starting point of the Valletta Shore Front tourist trail will be situated at St. Elmo.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

AREA TWO

DEVELOPMENT VISION

Pinto, Gun, and Wine Wharves Deep Water Quay

1. Pinto wharf extension to cater for larger cruise ships. Possible use of berthing dolphins. 2. Creation of transport node for public transport, taxis, and micro mobility. 3. Wine wharf Ro-Ro ramps to be kept and improved. 4. Deep Water Quay: i. Deep water quay can be redeveloped as a cruise port extension.

ii.

Deep water quay ‘sheds’ redeveloped as tourist facilities and commercial node (These may be considered once the area known as Ras Ħanżir is developed).

5. Dilapidated grain silo to be demolished and redeveloped. 6. Valletta tourist trail continues. 7. Landscaping of car park behind Deep Water quay.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

AREA THREE

DEVELOPMENT VISION

Church, Flagstone, Bridge, Lighters & Timber Wharves

Urban Regeneration of the Marsa ex-power station area. As detailed in the study - Land Use Strategy for the Marsa Ex-Power Station area.

2. The relocation of important stakeholders from Menqa. 3. Sea Malta building. Conservation and adaptive reuse. 4. Adaptive reuse of vacant or dilapidated wharf side buildings.

Menqa in general is light-industrial/ commercial-Due consideration will be given to this.

Bridge wharf – Potato Sheds, old customs stores, and various other structures. Extensive rehabilitation of the structures is necessary.

End of Bridge wharf - historic customs building - adaptive re-use.

8. Church wharf - Possible marinas or light industrial use.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

AREA FOUR

DEVELOPMENT VISION

Mediterranean Maritime Hub Quay Civil Protection

MMH – Possible diversification of operations and thus concession. Maximising maritime and related industrial activities for the benefit of the Maltese economy.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

AREA FIVE

DEVELOPMENT VISION

Ras Ħanżir, Fuel, Coal, and Other Wharves

1. Land reclamation between Fuel Wharf and Ras Ħanżir/Lab Wharf. This will create the first new area in the GH in the last 20 years.

5. A new connection between Ras Ħanżir/Lab Wharf to Coal Wharf via Fuel Wharf replacing the existing street.

2. This new wharf shall address the need of another cargo RoRo terminal and an urban freight distribution centre to modernise and make a more efficient transportation system of goods.

6. Massive reorganisation of the area in general.

3. Fuel wharf: cement silos. Consolidation and improvement of cement bunkering structures. 4. Embellishment of the historic scheduled buildings in the areas. Possible transformation of quayside activities within these buildings.

7. The process by which the new wharf is created may also incorporate two Ro-Ro ramps thus further improving Ro-Ro facilities within the GH. Also consolidating cargo to Area 5/6 from Area 2.

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AREA SIX

DEVELOPMENT VISION

Laboratory and Magazine Wharves

1. When Area 5 land reclamation and new wharf is ready, Areas 5 and 6 will constitute a major asset and extraordinary facility in terms of all possible operations within the GH.

3. Creation of a multi storey car storage facility.

2. Two parcels of land between Kordin industrial area and lab wharf may be considered for industrial development or storage.

5. Historic buildings will be restored and saved.

4. Improvement of the main access to Lab Wharf, in-Niżla ta’ Ras Ħanżir.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

AREA SEVEN

DEVELOPMENT VISION

Ex-Malta Drydocks Area

This area (ex-Tarzna) with its multitude of wharves, heavy industrial machinery, and also historic structures and buildings can be improved greatly.

2. Strengthening the continuous cooperation and dialogue with current concessionaire for the best use of these facilities.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

AREA EIGHT

DEVELOPMENT VISION

Boiler Wharf Dockyard Creek Kalkara Creek

1. Boiler Wharf is key to this area and perhaps the most viable window to kickstart immediate opportunities. 2. The shed structures on Boiler Wharf can be redeveloped and used for various activities. Mainly light industrial or commercial. 3. Kalkara: i. Organise moorings and berthings within Kalkara Bay. ii. The successful proven approach taken in Pietà can be considered as the main model. 4. Kalkara Marina could possibly be extended. 5. Wied Rinella can be embellished and the concept of a Rinella water park can be started. 6. Cospicua, Senglea & Vittoriosa: i. Organise mooring and berthing. ii. Further landscaping and embellishment of the promenades.

7. Fort St. Angelo: i. i. Historic buildings on side facing Bighi. ii. ii. These can be addressed and possibly utilised. iii. iii. Commercial activity is encouraged. 8. Bighi shore front can also have its access reopened and be made accessible again. Replacement of the makeshift passage with a proper passageway. 9. Any development and sustainable activity in this area is heavily dependent on the underwater berm at St. Elmo due to wave reflection in storm conditions.

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AREA NINE

DEVELOPMENT VISION

Fort Ricasoli

1. Fort Ricasoli will be rehabilitated and saved.

5. The film industry will also be included.

2. The huge structure can be handled possibly as separate minor concessions under the management of one central foundation.

6. The area under the inner bastions of Fort Ricasoli, commonly known as “il-Lido” can be redeveloped in a commercial activity with a historic touch. Also including a berthing facility.

3. The base of all change shall be the removal of the waste oil cleaning facility. 4. There is endless opportunity here. Commercial venues. Artistic platforms. Artisanal mall.

7. 7. The massive area within Ricasoli currently occupied by Falzon’s storage cisterns is in itself so huge that it is limitless. A green park can be created.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

Back from the Future – Straight to the Past – The Old Malta Railway Re-visited Paul Galea Founder/Chairman The Malta Railway Foundation

As two months ago the Government published the proposal for a future Mass Rapid Transit System in Malta – the Malta Metro Proposal - as drawn by up the Engineering Consultancy Group ARUP, T-21 thought it was fitting that we re-visit the only railway that operated in Malta. This railway was in service in the late 1800s, in the height of the British Rule over the Maltese Islands.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

The Malta Railway consisted of a single railway line from Valletta to Mdina and was the only railway line ever to exist on the island of Malta. It was a single-track line in metregauge, operating from 1883 to 1931. A railway for Malta was first proposed in 1870 by J. Scott Tucker. The desire at the time was to reduce the journey time from Valletta to the old city of Mdina from 3 hours to less than half an hour. This was the start of a long and protracted design and construction period, which marked the pre-planning stage of the project. Proposals to use the J. B. Fell patented narrow gauge railway system were dropped, and in 1879, Wells-Owen & Elwes Consulting Engineers of Westminster, London, were engaged to design the railway. The Malta Standard newspaper of Wednesday December 8th 1880 announced that

there are unmistakable signs that in a short space of time, the inhabitants of these Islands may be able to boast of possessing a railway. Acquisition of the land took longer than expected, so it was not until 3:00 in the afternoon of Wednesday 28th February 1883 that the first official train left the Valletta Terminus Station. Its destination was Notabile Terminus Station, situated under Saqqajja Hill in Rabat, Malta. The journey took about 25 minutes, and an account of the opening was published on The Malta Standard on Thursday March 1st 1883.

“This was the start of a long and protracted design and construction period.”

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

A schedule - time table was advertised in The Malta Times and United Service Gazette on 3rd March 1883. A more technical report was featured in The Engineer publication of April 13th 1883. The opening was almost 60 years after Locomotion No. 1 carried the first passengers on the Stockton & Darlington Railway on the 27th September 1825, and 25 years after the introduction of the London Underground. Finances for the railway always proved critical. On the 1st of April 1890, the first proprietor, the Malta Railway Company Ltd., went bankrupt and seized operations. As a result of this and according to legislation enacted thereafter, the Government at the time took over the control of the railway and invested in its infrastructure, and operations between the two cities, Valletta and Mdina, recommenced on 25th January 1892.

During the time when the line was closed, the Government made several improvements, including the replacement of the timber viaduct at Porta Reale (Timber Bridge at St. James Ditch), which had started to rot. In 1895, plans were made to extend the line to service the new Mtarfa Military Barracks. Works on an extension of the line were taken in hand and the extension was opened for traffic in 1900, at a cost of £20,000. Some years later, in 1912, The Railway Magazine ran an article about the railway. The railway journey which left Valletta Terminus situated at St. James Ditch went over a dry-stone bridge which initially was made of timber but as mentioned above, it soon began to rot and was replaced. It entered a tunnel underneath Floriana, making a stop at the one and only underground Railway Station of the Malta Railway in Floriana. This station was situated underneath St. Philip’s Gardens.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

The train then proceeded on and emerged through a tunnel mouth at St. Philip’s Bastion and afterwards passed through another very short tunnel through the Notre Dame Bastion. The railway emerged on a dry-stone bridge at Porte de Bombes and crossed over a steel bridge over Princess Melita Street and carried on towards Ta’ Braxia cemetery. Next destination was Ħamrun, to where the train passed from Blata l-Bajda. After passing by the football ground, it approached the area known as the Mile End. This meant that the train was now about to cross over an embankment to arrive at Ħamrun Railway Station. The Ħamrun Station was the heart of the Malta Railway, as this was a railway complex complete with workshops, a station with two platforms, and sheds for the locomotives and the carriages. The sound of a whistle and a green flag meant that the way was clear and it was time to depart. The train passed by the only semaphore along the route at Ħamrun station, out through the gates with a sharp turn to the right. Soon, the train would be over another embankment in Ħamrun, stopping at Msida Platform which was opposite St. Francis Church. From here on, the train travelled on through St. Venera and straight on to Birchircara Railway Station.

If the Ħamrun Station was the heart of the Malta Railway, the Birchircara Railway Station was the central station. This was where the two trains, the one on its return journey from Mdina and the train coming from Valletta, normally met. The Station had very beautiful gardens and served as public open-air areas for the residents and visitors. Nice and elegantly-dressed commuters paraded on the two platforms, with the ladies showing of their dresses and hats. Men’s wear was elegant too. Travelling on the train, to most people, was an event to where their number one dress was worn. There was also a number of poor people and working-class people who travelled on particular workers’ carriages. Soldiers, Government Officials, priests, doctors, nurses, and other high-society people, at one time or another, all travelled on the railway. The green flag would be raised, and a whistle would be heard. Time to depart and leave the beautiful gardens full of colourful flowers behind. The train carried on through Old Railway Street passing by St. Aloysius’ College, and on towards Ħal Balzan where there was another stop, San Anton Platform.

“Travelling on the train, to most people, was an event.”

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

For all those going to San Anton Gardens, this was their stop. Disembark here for San Anton Gardens-Next Stop is Ħ’Attard Station. The train crossed what is nowadays the main road leading to San Anton Palace and Gardens. It ascended slowly on to another embankment situated behind Corinthia Palace Hotel. It crossed over another steel bridge supported by a stone column at the middle of the bridge. The train moved slowly into Ħ’Attard Railway Station. This station did not have a siding and could only handle one train at a time. It moved on forward by Villa Bologna, and the journey was now at a gradient as Rabat was situated on higher grounds. Il-Vapur Tal-Art, as it was nicknamed by the Maltese, climbed slowly and arrived at San Salvatore Railway Station. This station serviced those who had friends and relatives recovering at Mount Carmel Hospital, situated across the road from the railway station.

From here, the train rolled on through the countryside and over other embankments. It passed from the outskirts of Ħaż-Żebbuġ where it slowed down at one point to allow a postman with his mailbags to disembark. Another man with his horse and cart would be waiting to take the postman to Ħaż-Żebbuġ, Siġġiewi, Fawwara, and the surrounding area to distribute mail. Passing through the fields and in about 25 minutes or so it arrived at Notabile Railway Station situated underneath Saqqajja Hill, which until the turn of the 20th century was the terminus station. From here, the train then proceeded through a tunnel mouth. This tunnel was dug partly under Mdina and emerged at the valley between Mdina and Mtarfa. The station here was named Museum Railway Station after the Roman Villa Museum, situated further uphill from the station itself. This station particularly served military personnel residing at the Mtarfa Military Barracks, doctors and nurses who worked at the Naval Hospital in Mtarfa, and also visitors of patients recovering at the Hospital. This was the Malta Railway route. The train then prepared for its return journey to Valletta, stopping at the stations and platforms. Commuters on the Malta Railway could travel on First, Second, and Third-Class Carriages. Workers travelled on workers’ carriages which were also troop carriers.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

The Malta Railway had 10 locomotives and 33 passenger carriages:

Engine

Type

Maker

Maker’s No.

Date

0-6-0T

Manning Wardle & Co. Ltd., Leeds.

842

1882

0-6-0T

Manning Wardle & Co. Ltd., Leeds.

843

1882

0-6-0T

Manning Wardle & Co. Ltd., Leeds.

844

1883

0-6-0ST

Black Hawthorn & Co. Ltd., Gateshead.

753

1884

2-6-2T

Manning Wardle & Co. Ltd., Leeds.

1243

1891

2-6-4T

Manning Wardle & Co. Ltd., Leeds.

1261

1892

2-6-4T

Beyer Peacock & Co. Ltd., Manchester.

3678

1895

2-6-4T

Beyer Peacock & Co. Ltd., Manchester.

3852

1896

2-6-4T

Beyer Peacock & Co. Ltd., Manchester.

4163

1899

2-6-4T

Beyer Peacock & Co. Ltd., Manchester.

4719

1903

Engine No. 4 was originally a saddle tank engine but was locally converted to a side tank engine due to our climate conditions. All the other 9 locomotives were side tank engines. Then, in 1903, a company by the name Malta Tramways was founded. It ran the tram service in Malta from 1905 onwards. One of its routes, Valletta to Birkirkara, ran parallel to the railway line. The tram terminus in Birkirkara was outside the Railway Gardens. In 1929, the Malta Tramways seized operations as it was not financially viable any longer. On 31st March 1931, the Malta Railway came to a close down due to economic insufficiency. Buses had arrived on the island and served all destinations on the island. What served as the tram terminus outside Birchircara Railway Station now started to serve as the terminus for the buses. It was time to change the means of transport again, now to the more efficient and effective means of transport at the time, the Malta Buses.

During the railway period, Malta was ruled by three British Monarchs: • • •

Queen Victoria, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901; King Edward VII, 22 January 1901 – 6 May 1910; and King George V, 6 May 1910 – 20 January 1936

A railway museum is being set up at the Birchircara Railway Station, which is the building in this garden. Since 2013, the Malta Railway Foundation has been working hand in hand with the Birkirkara Local Council, ably led by Mayor Joanne Debono Grech, to turn the old building of the Birchircara Railway Station into a railway museum.

This museum shall expose artefacts related to the 50 year era of this important means of transport on our island. This museum will also have a library and archives where students and researchers can conduct further research about the mechanised revolution feats that arrived on our island before the end of the 19th Century. These gardens will complement the Railway Museum to provide the residents of Birkirkara, the Maltese people, and also tourists another attraction related to what was once the Central Railway Station on our island.

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Timely intervention by the Ports and Yachting Directorate within Transport Malta Capt. Fritz Farrugia Deputy Chief Officer & Deputy Harbour Master Ports & Yachting Directorate

In the late hours of the 18th of March 2022, MT Chem P, on anchor outside territorial waters, started dragging her anchor due to the strong inclement weather being experienced at the time. Due to the presence of a number of submarine cables in the area, she heaved her anchors home. MT Chem P is a chemical tanker built in 1968, registered under the St. Kitts & Nevis Flag Administration, was in ballast condition with no cargo onboard, immobilised with no propulsion, and carrying 20 crew members.

In the early hours of the 19th of March 2022, noting that the vessel was now within territorial waters and the risks involved, Vessel Traffic Services standard operating procedures took effect, with the Ports & Yachting Directorate management team under the guidance of the Harbour Master Capt. David Bugeja setting up an emergency response team at TM offices in Marsa to deal with the situation. Her progress was monitored with all relevant stakeholders updated on her status and position.

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“Unless immediate action was taken, grounding of the vessel with the associated risks was highly likely.”

ISSUE 0206 EDITION | T-21 | T-21 The The Transport Transport Malta Malta Quarterly Quarterly

“MT Chem P is currently at the waiting anchorage area, detained.” In view of the prevailing exceptionally strong gale force winds blowing from the East at 45 knots with a 6m wave height, it was evident that unless immediate action was taken, grounding of the vessel with the associated risks was highly likely. Tug Malta Ltd. was engaged to assist and connect at the earliest convenience to bring the vessel under control. Tugs St. Elmo and Spinola were engaged and proceeded to her location. In addition, the vessel was directed to lower her port anchor to 9 shackles in the water, equating to approximately 250m of cable, in the interest of using all available means to slow her progress towards our foreshore and potential grounding. This assisted the tugs in connecting, and the vessel was eventually brought under control east of Għallis Tower. The vessel remained on anchor and assisted by Tug Malta Ltd. tugs in this location until the weather improved.

On the 21st of March 2022, when it was deemed safe to initiate the tow of MT Chem P to a designated anchorage, tugs St. Elmo and Spinola commenced towing the vessel to bunkering Area 6, on the west coast of Malta, which was deemed as the safest anchorage at the time. On the 22nd of March she was safely anchored in Area 6 and remained connected to the tugs in the interest of safety. On the 27th of March 2022, AHTS Opal took over from tugs St. Elmo and Spinola. On the 29th of March 2022, MT Chem P under towage by AHTS Opal was directed to proceed to the waiting anchorage area off Marsaxlokk in the interest of providing a better long-term location and further offshore in the interest of safety. MT Chem P is currently at the waiting anchorage area, detained under a warrant of arrest and detained by the Environment and Resources Authority, noting that the vessel was originally destined to be scrapped in the interest of ensuring that related EU Directives are complied with.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

In view of this arrest and detention, it is still not clear how long the Chem P will remain anchored in the waiting anchorage area, noting legalities related to all parties involved in the salvage and for any other damages that other third parties, such as Enemalta, may have suffered. It is to be noted that in 2018, a similar situation took place when another vessel, the 885-tonne Hephaestus, ran aground in Qawra, also due to bad weather. The Chem P is approximately three times the size of the Hephaestus. Asked by T-21 why such incidents take place, Capt. Bugeja said that due to the fact that Malta has a free anchorage site in international waters, a number of vessels pass through this area. When vessels encounter strong easterly winds, we are posed to encounter such incidents. In the meantime, the Malta Maritime Forum Chairperson, Judge Emeritus Joseph Zammit McKeon, publicly recognised the work carried out by all those involved in the salvage of the MT Chem P, particularly Tug Malta and its crew members who battled the storm and avoided a disaster for the vessel and its 20-strong crew.

One of the MMF’s objectives is to bring to attention the work carried out by seafaring personnel involved in the Shipping Industry and the efforts made in emergency situations whereby all efforts are made at the expense of personal risk, to attend to accidents and incidents for the greater good of the country. The MMF also saluted the work of Capt. David Bugeja, Chief Officer & Harbour Master, Ports & Yachting Directorate, and his team, for his coordination of the operation to avoid the risk of the vessel running aground and thus avoid the risk of loss of life of crew members whilst safeguarding related risks to the environment. Similarly, the MMF saluted and praised the thirteen professional members of the Tug Malta crew who battled the storm and put their lives at risk to bring the situation under control.

The 885-tonne Hephaestus which ran aground in Qawra in 2018.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

Pursuing a Dream Peter Paul Barbara Director Special Projects Office of the Deputy Chief Executive Officer & Chief Operating Officer

Over the past few weeks, T-21 met with Mr. Charles Vassallo, a keen motorcycle enthusiast, a retired insurance professional, and a grandfather of five who managed to fulfil a long-standing dream he had to build his own motorcycle, a trike. T-21 had a chat with Charles to discover the pains and pleasures that he went through to make his dream come true and describe how the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on these recent months meant that he had the necessary time to pursue his dream.

Photo: Alex Buttigieg

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

Charles, what led you to start working on your project? Deep into my retirement and following a very active life, I found myself living in a vacuum. Having been a keen motorcycle enthusiast for most of my life, I decided to embark on a project which I would enjoy doing. It then resulted that this could not have come at a better time than during the COVID pandemic, which left many vulnerable persons at my age in adverse conditions. I used to ride motorcycles regularly up to this time, but that was when I realised I lacked the muscle to manoeuvre heavy bikes and as a consequence, I decided to quit biking. However, the rumbling exhaust note, the thrill of balancing the bike and also the exposed engineering detail of this machine still ticked my love for this marvel. So, how did you start carrying out your project? Following a lot of research, I decided to build my own motorcycle. I wanted a model to be different from the rest, more stable, and as a result I opted for a three-wheeled design, but I also wanted it to be a reverse trike model, that is, having two wheels at the front. All of this made my project the more interesting but also more complicated. The fact that this was going to be the first project of its kind to be carried out locally contributed to more challenges. This eventually proved to be no easy task, and the usual aches and pains followed. Following a visit to the United Kingdom some few months prior to the COVID lockdown, I had ordered the trike chassis, body, and relevant parts. In the time I was waiting for the parts to arrive, I bought a motorcycle which I completely dismantled for the utilisation of the required mechanical parts needed for the trike.

Can you provide some insights on the development of trikes, for the benefit of our readers? It seems that it resembles slightly the Morgan 3 Trike produced by Morgan Motorsports. Yes… it might be worth mentioning that the concept of this trike was developed and designed by one of the engineers in the design group of Lotus Motors and yes, the trike has a resemblance of the Morgan 3, however, Tony Divey, who was a good friend of the Morgan family, wanted to design his own version. At the time, Tony was part of the building team working with Lotus Motors and that is how this trike was conceived back in the eighties. The design of the trike has hardly changed ever since, except for some slight modifications. In fact, Tony Divey was from Norfolk and even the trike factory is in the same city. Tony, having a lot of knowledge and experience in the car building industry, had always been fascinated with three wheelers and decided to build this for himself since Morgan had seized production of the vehicle a long time prior to this. The new Morgan 3 was put on the market again in 2010, and about three weeks ago they have just launched the new Super 3 trike.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

It seems to have been quite a feat from an engineering perspective. Did you have any assistance to carry out your project and who provided you with the specifications? Yes. In fact, a friend of mine, Mr Alan Layzell, helped in providing me with technical advice when I requested it, as well as providing me with very important documentation which I required for the purpose of registering the vehicle with Transport Malta.

For a good number of months, as you could expect, I was deeply immersed into this project with the need to take several decisions which required careful considerations. At planning stage, being a perfectionist, I had set myself a high benchmark and consequently there were many times when I had to redo the same job even four times until I accomplished the desired result. Hence, I need to mention and acknowledge the technical advice that I was given by many local car enthusiasts and friends every time I needed it. The specifications were provided with the chassis.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

Did you have any other support during the building of the trike? There were times when two hands were not enough and so I had to turn to my wife to ask her for assistance, either to move the chassis or to hold a nut at an unreachable end. In addition to the normal build, I had also fitted a reverse gearbox to make the vehicle easier to manoeuvre. Where the body was concerned, I chose to make some major aesthetic modifications by remolding the rear and other parts, but whilst sticking to the builders’ specifications. How long did it take you to complete the project from start to finish and what followed next? As soon as the project was completed, I needed to engage myself in the rigorous task of registering the vehicle with Transport Malta so that I could ride the trike, so for this reason I had to engage an engineer who was tasked with providing a technical report as well as additional recommendations in order for the vehicle to be compliant with the regulations.

After that, the vehicle needed to undergo a series of stringent tests in order to become compliant with the EU safety standards and environmental regulations. In addition, several documents were required in the process, which, as I previously mentioned, were provided by Alan, who had contributed immensely towards this end. Although no effort has been spared towards the realisation of my dream, this could not have been made possible had it not been for the vital cooperation I received from Transport Malta officials at every level of the Authority. The project took about 24 months to be completed.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

What are your final thoughts on your successful endeavour? All of the effort that I put in to realise my dream was none other than a continuous labour of love, especially when one considers my limitations and also the several challenges that surfaced throughout the whole process, so nothing came easy. However, I was never deterred from pursuing my dream. On the 25th of February of this year, Transport Malta issued the relevant approval and documentation together with the registration plates. …………Believe me when I tell you that I have not allowed the oil to settle in the engine sump ever since.

Have you given your trike a name yet? And will you build another, now that you have the experience? It is registered as Triking T2. With regard to your question about building another model, I prefer not to answer as my wife would not be too happy with my reply.

“All of the effort that I put in to realise my dream was none other than a continuous labour of love.”

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

The Role of Transport Malta during Pope Francis’s Visit

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

“Transport Malta’s role in Pope Francis’s visit to Malta was an extensive one.”

Transport Malta’s role in Pope Francis’s visit to Malta was an extensive one which saw the involvement of more than 300 members of staff from the Enforcement Directorate, the Transport Malta Security Section within the Enforcement Directorate, the Administrative Staff of the Directorate, and other supporting staff. Apart from the Transport Malta Enforcement Directorate (including both the Land and Maritime Units), other Transport Malta Directorates and Departments were also involved during this Apostolic Visit, including the Harbour Master and members of staff from the Ports and Yachting Directorate, the Civil Aviation

Directorate including the Director General, the GIS Unit for planning, the National Traffic Control Centre, as well as the Gozo Operations Unit, including Enforcement. The Land Transport Directorate was also involved, due to an extended public bus transport service put in place during the visit. In fact, during the two-day visit, Malta Public Transport increased the frequency of buses on specific routes and also introduced special bus services in Gozo due to the Pope’s visit there.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

The whole operation carried out by Transport Malta was coordinated by the Authority’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Mr Kevin Farrugia, who during the visit itself was personally coordinating operations with the Police and LESA among other agencies. He was present at the Police General Headquarters in Floriana and conducted continuous visits to each road section forming part of the selected route for the Pope’s motorcade. The Land Enforcement Unit was entrusted with the clearance of areas along the roads making part of the routes used by the Pope’s motorcade. This included the towing of vehicles, road closures, and manning of roads. These duties were carried out in both Malta and Gozo. The roads making part of the route, which was being planned to the last minute with pre-defined speed limits for the motorcade, were completely closed off to traffic two hours before the motorcade passed through and were cleared of any vehicles left parked in them in spite of the fact that vehicle owners were notified days before. This enabled the motorcade to make use of the whole width of the road, thus also enhancing the security aspect itself.

The same Directorate was also in charge of all the traffic management arrangements for the whole of the Valletta peninsula during the Papal visit, which also included road diversions, clearance of parking spaces, and vehicle removal. The Land Enforcement Officers forming part of the Rapid Intervention Unit were all deployed to provide constant motorcycle escort services to national and international media. In addition, wherever parking was cleared, loading and unloading of shop and business-related deliveries was also prohibited. Shop owners were also beforehand about this arrangement. Furthermore, Local Councils were also advised not to issue any permits for any road related activities such as road closures, and no roadworks were permitted to be carried out in the duration of the visit. Most of Valletta and Floriana were also closed off during the visit as from 5:00am on Saturday and 6:00 am on Sunday, with most of the streets from Portes des Bombes onwards being closed for traffic for hours before and all of the major parking areas in and around Valletta being cleared from vehicles. These areas were closed off as from Friday at 5:00 in the morning.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

Similarly, the Valletta-Marsa waterfront was also closed off from Friday until Saturday, in view of the catamaran journey from Valletta to the port of Mġarr on Saturday afternoon. Pope Francis left the Valletta Grand Harbour on Saturday afternoon at 4:30pm aboard the Catamaran Maria Dolores for the 10-minute journey. In turn, the Grand Harbour was being surveilled by around 12 RHIBs and two AFM patrol boats, with aerial surveillance being provided by the Air Wing of the Armed Forces. Transport Malta also deployed all of its Maritime Assets and officers for this operation.

The Pope’s motorcade’s route in Gozo was from the Mġarr Harbour to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta’ Pinu in the limits of Għarb, where he found around 3,000 people waiting for him. All of the roads from Mġarr to Għarb were closed off and all vehicles parked on these road sections were also cleared. It is important to note the historical fact that it was Pope Pius XI who granted a Pontifical Decree of Coronation, “Marianum exstat Sanctuarium”, towards its venerated Marian image. Pope Francis’s visit to Gozo was the second one by a sitting Pope, the first being the visit by Pope John Paul II on May 25th 1990, who also visited the Ta’ Pinu Sanctuary.

“The National Traffic Control Centre was constantly monitoring the routes.”

Similarly, on his return to Malta, this time aboard a Gozo Channel Ferry from Mġarr to Ċirkewwa, the same security precautions were taken at both Harbours and on the route from Ta’ Pinu to Mġarr Harbour as well as from the Port of Ċirkewwa to the Nunciature in Rabat, a journey which passed through Mellieħa, Xemxija, St. Paul’s Bay, Burmarrad, and Mosta. On its part, the National Traffic Control Centre was constantly monitoring the routes with direct communication with Land Enforcement assets on the ground. The Harbour Master and employees of the Ports and Yachting Directorate were also engaged with coordinating the papal visit from the Valletta Grand Harbour to the Mġarr Harbour as well as the journey back from Mġarr to Ċirkewwa, including the issuance of the respective Notices to Mariners. this, in turn, was enforced by the Maritime Enforcement Unit within the Enforcement Directorate.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

Promoting Green Mobility The Largest and most Comprehensive Financial Incentives to promote greener and sustainable transport to date. On the 3rd of March of this year, Transport Malta, in collaboration with the Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, together with Parliamentary Secretariat responsible for EU Funds, launched the largest ever package of transport related financial incentives in the form of grants to promote greener and sustainable transport. A total of around €20 million in grants will be made available to the general public and commercial entities in 2022. The allocation of financial grants and other incentives have been increasing year on year since their introduction in 2014, when the first “modern” electric vehicles made it to the market.

The scope for these incentives and grants is to further promote a switch towards sustainable and green mobility, with the main objective being a larger shift towards electromobility and in the meantime contributing towards a reduction in transport generated emissions. The private and commercial sectors are the main targets of this year’s incentives as can be seen from the grant structure just published.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

“A total of around €20 million in grants will be made available to the general public.”

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

For the first time since the inception of similar grants, this time round, Malta has managed to acquire EU funds specifically intended for the promotion of green transport technologies through the Maltese Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) as a contribution to address challenges related to the steep increase in energy consumption and waste generation resulting from a rapid population, employment, and GDP growth in recent years. These funds, amounting to €50 million, will be spread over 3 years, starting from this year until the end of 2024. Transport Malta, together with the Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, will therefore continue to offer more financial incentives to Maltese motorists in order to make use of a more sustainable and efficient means of transport, and encouraging vehicle owners to go electric when deciding to purchase a new vehicle or even convert their current vehicle to a cleaner one.

“Through the provision of these grants, the Government is giving a clear indication of being environmentally friendly.”

Through the provision of these grants, the Government is giving a clear indication of being environmentally friendly, which is commitment to continue making a difference in order to achieve our main goal of working diligently on the subject of alternative transport. For 2022, a total of nine grants are being launched which will apply from the 1st of January 2022. Applications are open until the budget is taken up and applications can be accessed from the Transport Malta website by clicking the following link: https://www.transport.gov.mt/ land/sustainable-transport/financialincentives-2022-5440. It is important to note that Grants 1 to 5 are available for all (persons, Local Councils, NGOs, and the general business community) whereas: i.

Grant 6 is for undertakings; and

transport

ii.

Grants 7 to 9 are available to all owners of heavy-duty vehicles.

As with previous grants issued to businesses and to NGOs with an economic activity, these fall within the scope of State Aid rules.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

GRANT NO. 1 Financial incentives including scrappage scheme for the purchase of new electric vehicles in category L, M and N, and pedelecs for Persons, Local Councils, Voluntary Organisations and Undertakings This grant scheme shall support the purchase of new electric vehicles in category L, M and N, consisting of passenger cars, vans, goods carrying vehicles, minibuses, coaches, quadricycles, motorcycles, and pedelecs, with the aim of reducing the number of older conventional motor vehicles from the road.

The grants include a scrappage scheme intended to provide further financial support to applicants who, while purchasing and registering a new electric vehicle or pedelec, deregister a vehicle of any category which is older than 10 years from its year of manufacture.

Table 1: Grant amounts applicable for the purchase of category M or N electric vehicles:

Category of new Electric Vehicle

Grant Amount

M1 (Car)/N1 (Van)

€11,000

M2 (Minibus)/N2 (Small Truck)

40% of invoice value, capped at €40,000

M3 (Coach)/N3 (Truck)

40% of invoice value, capped at €250,000

Table 2: Grant amounts to be paid for each vehicle registered by undertakings established in Malta or Voluntary Organisations which carry out any economic activity. Category of new Electric Vehicle

No. of vehicles

M1 (Car)

Up to 10

€11,000 per vehicle. *

N1 (Van)

More than 10

65% of investment 55% of investment 45% of investment costs, capped at costs, capped at costs, capped at €40,000. ** €40,000. ** €40,000. **

M2 (Minibus) N2 (Small Truck)

N/A

65% of investment 55% of investment 45% of investment costs, capped at costs, capped at costs, capped at €40,000. ** €40,000. ** €40,000. **

M3 (Coach) N3 (Truck

N/A

65% of investment 55% of investment 45% of investment costs, capped at costs, capped at costs, capped at €250,000. ** €250,000. ** €250,000. **

Small Enterprise

Medium Enterprise

NOTE: Investment costs are the difference between the cost of the electric vehicle being registered and that of an equivalent vehicle with a conventional internal combustion engine. * De Minimis Regulations apply. ** Global Block Exemptions Regulations apply.

Large Enterprise

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

Table 3: Grant amounts to be paid for each electric Category L vehicle or pedelec purchased by any applicant. Type of Vehicle

Vehicle Sub-Category

Grant Amount

N/A

€500

- Pedelecs

- Cargo Pedelecs

- Powered cycles; - Two-wheel mopeds; - Light quadricycles or quadri-mobiles.

• L1e-A • L1e-B • L6e

- Low-performance motorcycle; - Low-performance two-wheel motorcycle with sidecar; - Powered Tricycle with power not exceeding 15kW.

• L3e-A1 • L4e-A1 • L5e

- Medium-performance motorcycle; - Medium-performance two-wheel motorcycle with sidecar.

• L3e-A2 • L4e-A2

- Three-wheel mopeds for the transport of passenger or goods; - High-performance motorcycle; - High-performance two-wheel motorcycle with sidecar.

• L2e • L3e-A3 • L4e-A3

- Powered Tricycle with power exceeding 15kW.

• L5e

- Heavy quadricycles or quadri-mobiles.

• L7e

€2,000 but not more than 80% of the invoice price.

25% of CIF, capped at €6,000

Table 4: Grant amounts to be paid when a vehicle is scrapped in conjunction with any other grant for the purchase of an electric vehicle.

Category of Scrapped Vehicle

Place of Registration of Scrapped Vehicle Malta

Gozo

€500

L (Motorcycles)

M1 (Car) or N1 (Van)

€1,000

€2,000

M2 (Minibus)

€20,000

€21,000

N2 (Small Truck)

€5,000

€6,000

M3 (Coach)

€30,000

€31,000

N3 (Truck)

€10,000

€11,000

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

GRANT NO. 2 Financial Incentives including scrappage scheme for the purchase of new or used Plug-in Hybrid vehicles and used electric vehicles in category M and N for Persons, Local Councils, Voluntary Organisations and Undertakings

The grant scheme consists of the purchase of new or used Plug-in Hybrid vehicles and used electric vehicles in category M and N such as passenger cars, vans, goods carrying vehicles, minibuses, and coaches. The grant includes a scrappage scheme. This scheme is also promoting the conversion of bicycles into pedelecs.

Table 1: Grant amounts to be paid on the purchase of each new or used Plug-in Hybrid vehicle and used electric vehicles in category M and N.

Category of new Electric Vehicle

Grant Amount

New Plug-in Hybrid M1 (Car)/N1 (Van).

€11,000

New Plug-in Hybrid M2 (Minibus)/N2 (Small Truck).

40% of invoice value, capped at €40,000

New Plug-in Hybrid M3 (Coach)/N3 (Truck).

40% of invoice value, capped at €250,000

Used Plug-in Hybrid/Electric M1/N1 – Older than one day but not older than 2 months.

€8,000

Used Plug-in Hybrid/Electric M1/N1 – Older than 2 months but not older than 6 months.

€4,000

Used Plug-in Hybrid/Electric M1/N1 – Older than 6 months but not older than 36 months.

€2,000

Used Plug-in Hybrid/Electric M1/N1 – Older than 36 months but not older than 60 months

€1,000

Table 2: Grant amounts to be paid when a vehicle is scrapped in conjunction with any other grant for the purchase of new or used Plug-in Hybrid vehicles and used electric vehicles in category M and N.

Category of Scrapped Vehicle

Place of Registration of Scrapped Vehicle Malta

Gozo

L (Motorcycles)

M1 (Car) or N1 (Van)

€1,000

€2,000

M2 (Minibus)

€20,000

€21,000

N2 (Small Truck)

€5,000

€6,000

M3 (Coach)

€30,000

€31,000

N3 (Truck)

€10,000

€11,000

Any category, but without registering another vehicle within 1 year of scrappage (otherwise grant shall be refunded)

€500

The De Minimis rules apply when grants are issued to undertakings established in Malta or voluntary organisations which carry out any economic activity.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

GRANT NO. 3 Financial Incentives to promote LPG as an alternative fuel for vehicles instead of petrol or diesel for Persons, Local Councils, Voluntary Organisations and Undertakings The aim is to promote the use of LPG as an alternative fuel for vehicles running on petrol or diesel. This is another environmentally friendly budget measure aimed at reducing further emissions from road transport and incentivising the use of LPG instead of petrol vehicles and dual fuel systems for diesel vehicles.

The following grant amounts shall be issued: •

•

€400 when a petrol-powered Category M1 or N1 (passenger car or van) vehicle is retrofitted to operate on LPG or petrol; €900 when a diesel-powered Category M1 or N1 vehicle is retrofitted to operate on LPG and diesel simultaneously; €1,000 when a diesel-powered Category M2 or N2 vehicle is retrofitted to operate on LPG and diesel simultaneously; and €1,500 when a diesel-powered Category M3 or N3 vehicle is retrofitted to operate on LPG and diesel simultaneously.

GRANT NO. 4 Financial Incentives including scrappage scheme on the purchase of New Category L Petrol Motorcycles for Persons, Local Councils, Voluntary Organisations and Undertakings

Financial grants for the purchase of new Category L Petrol Motorcycles, and for the replacement of old Category L, M1 and N1 vehicles. The amounts listed below are applicable when a vehicle in the below Category is registered.

Table 1: Grant amounts to be paid for each Category L Petrol motorcycle purchased by any applicant, subject to eligibility criteria stipulated in this document. Type of Vehicle

Vehicle Sub-Category

Grant Amount

- Powered cycles; - Two-wheel mopeds; - Light quadricycles or quadri-mobiles.

• L1e-A • L1e-B • L6e

€1000

- Low-performance motorcycle; - Low-performance two-wheel motorcycle with sidecar; - Powered Tricycle with power not exceeding 15kW.

• L3e-A1 • L4e-A1 • L5e

€1000

- Medium-performance motorcycle; - Medium-performance two-wheel motorcycle with sidecar.

• L3e-A2 • L4e-A2

€750

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

Table 2: Grant amounts to be paid when a vehicle in scrapped in conjunction with any other grant for the purchase of a new Category L Petrol motorcycle.

Category of Scrapped Vehicle Amount 1

L (Motorcycles)

€500

M1 (Car) or N1 (Van)

€11,000

GRANT NO. 5 Financial Incentives including scrappage scheme on the purchase of small environment-friendly Petrol and Diesel vehicles for Persons, Local Councils, Voluntary Organisations and Undertakings

This grant incentivises the purchase of new M1 vehicles (passenger cars) that are environmentally friendly and the simultaneous scrappage of older vehicles. The grant amounts to a maximum of €1,500 when purchasing a new passenger car powered by a conventional engine, and a grant of €2,000 when purchasing a new mild hybrid passenger car, whilst de-registering an old vehicle in category M1 or N1.

GRANT NO. 6 Financial Incentives on the purchase of Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicles to be used for the Transport of Passengers for Hire or Reward Financial grant for the licensing of new wheelchair-accessible vehicles to be used for the transport of passengers for hire or reward, so that persons who make use of wheelchairs may have easy and unaided access to these transport services. Owners of Taxis, Light Passenger Transport

Operators, or Carriage of Passengers Operators may apply and receive a grant amounting to ten thousand Euro (€10,000) when licensing a new M1, M2, or M3 Category vehicle which is wheelchair-accessible to be used under any of these licences, and at the same time de-registering another vehicle in Category M1, N1, M2, or M3 which is at least ten (10) years old from its year of manufacture and which is registered on the applicant’s name on the date of deregistration.

GRANT NO. 7 Financial Incentives to promote the installation of Approved Photovoltaic Panels on Passenger Transport Vehicles This grant scheme shall incentivise owners of passenger transport vehicles, such as buses, coaches, and minibuses, to reduce the fuel consumption and emission of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from their motor vehicles through the installation of approved photovoltaic panels. This is

another environment-friendly budget measure aimed at further reducing emissions from road traffic. The grant amount is equal to 15% of the investment costs required for the installation of approved photovoltaic panels, given to the registered owners of the vehicles concerned. However, the grant amount shall not exceed the following: • •

€900 in the case of a Category M3 vehicle (bus or coach); or €450 in the case of a Category M2 vehicle (minibus).

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

GRANT NO. 8 Scheme to promote the Retrofitting of Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF) and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) Systems on Heavy-Duty vehicles for Undertakings This grant scheme shall incentivise heavy-duty vehicle owners to reduce NOx emissions from their motor vehicles through the retrofitting of Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) devices and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) Systems. This is another environment-friendly budget measure aimed at the further reduction of emissions from road traffic.

A grant of €10,000 will be paid to registered owners of heavy-duty motor vehicles which are retrofitted with a DPF device and an SCR system, resulting in a substantial reduction of NOx emissions.

GRANT NO. 9 Grant Scheme to promote the Retrofitting of Approved Battery Electric Powertrains on Motor Vehicles for Persons, Local Councils, Voluntary Organisations and Undertakings This grant scheme shall incentivise owners of diesel and petrol motor vehicles to eliminate tailpipe emissions from their motor vehicles through the retrofitting of battery electric powertrains.

A grant amount equal to 80% of the investment costs required for the retrofitting of battery electric powertrains shall be issued to the registered owners. The grant amount shall not exceed €20,000 in the case of Category M1 and N1 vehicles, €40,000 in the case of Category M2 and N2 vehicles, and €80,000 in the case of Category M3 and N3 vehicles.

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Regulating the Taxi Services Sector in Malta – The journey so far and the road ahead Vince Micallef Pulè Director Road Transport Licensing

The provision of Taxi services in Malta dates back to the middle of the 19th Century. This makes it one of the oldest transport services in the country and through this article I will be taking a brief look at the development of the service and the challenges ahead, especially in the wake of new competing services that are revolutionising the sector through the use of technologies and software applications, as well as in terms of the changing lifestyles of people at large.

EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

“The first recorded public cab hire service in Malta can be traced back to 1857.”

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EDITION 06 | T-21 The Transport Malta Quarterly

THE EARLY YEARS The first recorded public cab hire service in Malta can be traced back to 1857, when a Maltese company requested permission to import the first ‘karozzin’ (horse-drawn cab) to Malta. The British services would rent these cabs to get around Malta. The cabs used to be stationed at terminals or close to churches or police stations and were used until the years leading to the First World War, when the first motor taxis came into use. In fact, the first motor taxi to arrive in Malta was a FIAT Ardita model and it was registered in 1907.

First taxi registered in Malta in 1907

Years later, in 1931, the Traffic Regulation Ordinance was enacted, and the Traffic Control Board was formed with the aim of enforcing public transport regulations, such as those regulating dimensions, colour types and the engine capacity that had to be used. The years following the Second World War saw further growth in the levels of personal mobility, which coupled with a new demand for travel from developments in the tourist industry, resulted in an increased demand for public transport services. As a result, licences for new modes of public transport such as coaches, minibuses, mini-vans, and taxis were gradually introduced. Taxis were also required to be equipped with a taximeter.

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All transport sectors, however, were subject to the quantity control of licences so as not to create serious market disturbances. In 1984, after a long period of turmoil and head-to-head competition between the various transport sectors, taxi vehicles were organised under a white livery and in 1990, a new association representing taxi owners - White Taxi Licensed Association (WTLA) - was formed. In the years that followed, sporadic improvements were made to the regulatory framework, however, it was only in 2009 that the Government decided to remove all barriers to market entry in the unscheduled transport sector with the publishing of the new Passenger Transport Services Regulations, which, apart from reforming the regulatory framework of the passenger transport sector comprising of minibuses, minivans and coaches, effectively removed the quantity restrictions that previously existed.

“Taxi vehicles were organised under a white livery and in 1990 - White Taxi Licensed Association (WTLA) - was formed.”

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THE LAST DECADE A year later, following broad public consultation and in agreement with the taxi owners’ association, a holistic reform of the taxi sector was implemented. This reform laid the foundations for the modernisation of the sector in Malta after decades of poor regulation and enforcement, in addition to the lack of competition and an ingrained mentality within the taxi operators and drivers themselves, who did not consider the Maltese citizen as a potential client and focused mainly on providing transport for tourists. In addition, the quality and behavioural aspects of certain drivers portrayed a poor image of the taxi sector’s customer service and along with the bad reputation for overcharging, this made travellers feel vulnerable and insecure when using a taxi.

The objectives of the reform were therefore aimed at increasing competition in the taxi market, prescribing measures intended to enhance passenger and driver safety, and increasing reliability and quality of taxi services. The reform culminated in the publication of the Taxi Services Regulations, which introduced operator responsibilities for taxi owners, set out new market access rules and standards for drivers, defined new requirements for the vehicles that could be licensed as taxis, and set up a new enforcement structure that allowed for a better quality assurance.

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The following were the main outcomes of the reform: •

•

The number of taxi licences was partially liberalised with the issuing of an additional 50 licences over a period of three years. This brought the number of taxi licences in Malta to 250, while the number of taxis licensed in Gozo was retained at 50. Driver permits started being issued for a renewable period of five years to persons who were of good conduct and who possessed the requisite skills following a comprehensive training programme and after passing onerous theoretical and practical exams. The good conduct requirement had to be satisfied throughout the validity of the permit. Only new vehicles could be registered as taxis and old taxis in the fleet had to be replaced. These had to be fully airconditioned and were allowed to carry up to eight passengers instead of five, as was previously the rule. Eventually, wheelchairaccessible taxis were also introduced with the assistance of Government grants.

•

All taxis had to be equipped with: -

A taximeter with facilities such as the printing of fiscal receipts and the acceptance of payments using credit and debit cards, as well as tools providing means for driver recognition, among others;

Tracking devices, including transmission of tracking data via GPRS, as well as transmission of such data as ignition status, speed of vehicle, and also the ability of a 24x7 automatic real-time retrieval of data;

An optional on-board CCTV camera which triggers automatic recording on a change of the taximeter’s operating system, the opening of doors, or the activation of the emergency button; and

A two way-communications system capable of operating over the GSM network to allow Transport Malta to audibly communicate with the driver through a normal telephone line.

Android-based Rear-View Mirror Taximeter Device

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More security and information to passengers about their rights and on maximum taxi fares were introduced.

Service standards were clearly defined and made enforceable.

The number of taxi stands and manned taxi booths was increased. These taxi booths can be found near authorised taxi stands in the main tourist and entertainment hubs, including the Malta International Airport, the Cruise Passenger Terminal, Triton Square in Valletta, Sliema, and St. Julian’s.

They operate a fare ticketing system based on a set of predetermined maximum taxi fares to each locality in Malta. Clients who book a taxi from a taxi booth pay the established fixed fare to their destination and are given a coupon showing all the relevant details, including taxi booth location, time and date of purchase, taxi number, the fare paid, and contact details in case of service complaints.

A system of administrative fines and penalty points for breaches of regulations that could lead to the revocation of licences was also introduced.

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The implementation and enforcement of these Regulations became highly dependent on a taxi monitoring system that has been purposely commissioned by the Authority. Transport Malta uses this system to obtain real-time information on location, speed, and direction of the vehicles to monitor compliance of taxi operations with traffic regulations and to provide further informative data on road traffic conditions. TAXIS TODAY In recent years, taxis and their main competitor, the light passenger transport sector, have undergone substantial changes, notably due to technological advancements and the emergence of ride-hailing through customised online bookings, usually via a smartphone application. This has led Transport Malta to develop new policies and regulations to take into account new ways of operating, new business models, and new market players in the sector.

But these developments have also inevitably blurred the differences between taxis and light passenger transport vehicles, and have emphasised the direct competition between the two sectors. This has in turn pushed the taxi sector to up its game. New blood in the association has also instilled a sense of pride and professionalism, customer focus and self-regulation within its ranks, while embarking on new initiatives that improved the overall image of the sector and the quality of the service provided. Such initiatives included a total rebranding of the association as “Malta Taxi”, the opening of new professionally manned taxi booths, the introduction of newer taxi models and wheelchair-accessible vehicles in the fleet, new driver uniforms, and the installation of tablet computers complete with a free Wi-Fi service for their clients’ use inside taxi vehicles.

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Apart from its new brand image, Malta Taxi also introduced a new app, a new website, and has a constant presence on social media, including Facebook and Instagram. The Malta Taxi app, which is available on both the Android Play Store and the Apple App Store, allows its users to register, book, hail, and review competitively priced trips. Once a ride request is accepted through the app, users are automatically informed of all the details of the driver, including make and model of the car. A tracking function also allows users to trace the driver’s exact location and to view the route he or she is taking to reach their destination. The app automatically calculates the fare, which is in most cases less – but in any case, cannot be higher – than the maximum established by law, and a receipt is issued at the end of the trip. A stepby-step guide on how the app works can also be viewed on the Malta Taxi website: https://www.maltataxi.mt/.

While fully supporting these initiatives, Transport Malta also regularly incentivises the taxi market players to invest in more accessible and cleaner vehicles, in line with its environmental commitments. This is particularly done through the issuing of various Government schemes in the form of financial grants for the purchase of new wheelchair-accessible vehicles and Plug-in Hybrid or fully electric vehicles in the taxi fleet. Through the latest set of financial incentives issued for 2022, taxi owners can now benefit from grants ranging from €10,000 for the purchase of a new conventionally fuelled wheelchair-accessible taxi, to €21,000 if the wheelchair-accessible taxi is also a new Plug-in Hybrid or electric vehicle. These grants are increased by a further €1,000 if while registering the new Plug-in Hybrid or electric taxi, another vehicle that is older than 10 years is deregistered. Further information on these financial incentives can be found on Transport Malta’s website by following this link: https://www.transport.gov.mt/ land/sustainable-transport/financialincentives-2022-5440.

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“Undoubtedly, in the future, the industry will continue to evolve in radical ways.” LOOKING AHEAD While taxi services have gradually changed over the last century, recent years have seen dramatic technological developments that have completely transformed the nature of hailing services. As a result, the regulatory framework governing this sector is constantly being updated to facilitate these advancements, while ensuring that these services keep offering a safe option for passengers and that they operate on a level playing field with other passenger transport providers.

Undoubtedly, in the future, the industry will continue to evolve in radical ways. Perhaps the next biggest innovation that will morph the industry is the introduction of autonomous cars. This innovation is fast becoming a reality as some vehicle manufacturers are already past the experimenting stage, while the European Union is launching initiatives for their deployment on a large scale. What’s certain is that with each technological innovation, new regulatory challenges will emerge, and our own taxi industry will need to take drastic measures in order to stay competitive.

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A Move Towards Greener Transport Pierre Montebello Chief Officer Land Transport Directorate

As Transport Malta regulates all the modes of transport in Malta, its Land Transport Directorate – LTD – regulates all forms of land transport. Our operations can be summarised in three key fields: • The registration and licensing of vehicles used on our roads • The training and licensing of drivers; and • The licensing of professional transport services. • These operations are encompassed by the overarching objectives of safety and sustainability, be they economic, social, and environmental.

Various studies have identified road transport as the main polluting sector, especially regarding the generation of NOxs, CO, and particulate matter, although the emissions have been declining over the past 2 decades.1

We aim at achieving these objectives by regulating, facilitating, and educating the local transport sector. Moreover, the LTD acknowledges that innovation is a crucial aspect that needs to be embraced to deliver better results to our population.

Hence, the rate of change in our sector is possibly faster than in other modes, as we experience a gradual but fast transition toward zero and low emission vehicles (ZLEVs).

The sector is also considered a key emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs), especially Carbon Dioxide (CO2). In 2019 it emitted 72% of all domestic and international transport GHG.2

The global transport industry is experiencing rapid change within various aspects. The need to reduce the sector’s environmental impact is a key driver for this change and is affecting all modes. 1 2

https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/transport-emissions-of-air-pollutants-8/transport-emissions-of-air-pollutants-8 https://www.eea.europa.eu/ims/greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-transport

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“The need to reduce the sector’s environmental impact is a key driver for this change and is affecting all modes.”

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES (EVS) The most obvious change experienced by our sector is the introduction and fast diffusion of electrical vehicles, which are now a common presence on our roads. The variation in technologies and models is significant but, overall, they all offer the possibility to travel without depending on traditional fossil fuels. Newer vehicles are also offering better value for their clients, with longer autonomy and faster charging solutions. The price for EVs is also evolving and gradually approaching that of conventional vehicles. The promotion of Electric Vehicles as we know them today, in Malta started back in 2013 with the formation of the Malta Electromobility Platform which was set up between Transport Malta and the Ministry for Transportation at the time. Together with the setup of the MNEP, the Government also published the Malta National Electromobility Action Plan which was the a seven year action plan to facilitate the promotion and the entrance of EVs in the local market. The plan also included the phasing for the installation of the Malta ‘s first EV charging network.

“Since 2013, Transport Malta also participated and led a number of EU funded projects to promote further electromobility.”

Since 2013, Transport Malta also participated and led a number of EU funded projects to promote further electromobility including the DEMO Ev project funded under the EU Action Programme; Life Plus and the PORT-PVEV funded under the MaltaItalia ERDF Funds. In this case, our primary role is to facilitate their introduction and uptake within the market. This is mostly being done by mitigating the extra costs normally associated with such vehicles through various grant schemes and other financial help. All these measures are done in conjunction with the Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Projects, and the Ministry for Finance. Year on year we have seen a constant and significant growth of these grants, both in terms of allocated budget as well as uptake, as shown in table 1. This growth has also affected the value of the individual grants issued to applicants. For example, the grant issued for the registration of a new electric car grew from €7,000 in 2018 to €12,000 in 2021 and is expected to grow further in 2022. Moreover, the scope of such grant schemes has also grown. Whereas in 2018 the grant schemes focused primarily on private cars, in 2021 they also included bigger vehicles and added a significant focus on electric motorcycles and pedelecs.

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The LTD is now looking forward to support also the transition of heavyduty vehicles to EVs. We are closely following the planned launches of EV minibuses, coaches, and trucks from various manufacturers so that we can start assisting the related economic operators as soon as such vehicles are available on the market.

Table 1 - Development of Grant Schemes for EVs since 2018.

Year

Target Vehicles

Budget

Grants Issued

2018

Passenger Cars

€1,350,000

228

Pedelecs & Category L3 Vehicles

€89,000

224

Passenger Cars & Light Goods Vehicles

€1,500,000

299

Pedelecs & Category L Vehicles

€122,000

280

Passenger Cars & Goods Vehicles

€2,900,000

513

Pedelecs & Category L Vehicles

€180,000

431

Passenger & Goods Vehicles

€8,300,000

1,079

2019

2020

2021

Pedelecs

€4,100,000

Category L Vehicles Passenger & Goods Vehicles 2022

Pedelecs

€18,400,000

N/A N/A

L Category vehicles include moped, motorcycles, tricycles, and low-powered quadricycles.

Further details on grants for the purchase of electric vehicles are provided in other articles within this publication.

2,927 N/A

Category L Vehicles

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In addition to these grant schemes, owners of EVs also benefit from waived registration taxes and annual circulation licence fees for the first 5 years.

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EV SHARE IN VEHICLE MARKET The main types of Electric Vehicles currently available in the European market are Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Plug-in Hybrids (PHEVs). The share of BEVs and PHEVs in the quantity of vehicles registered over the past years have been constantly increasing, in part thanks to the above-mentioned grant schemes.

Table 2 - Evolution of Market Share of BEVs and PHEVs since 2018. Year

2018

2019

2020

2021

Vehicle Type

Newly Registered Vehicles

Passenger Cars

BEVs

PHEVs

Amount

Market Share

Amount

Market Share

19,766

405

2.1%

0.1%

Small Commercial Vehicles

2,589

0.3%

Category L

3,491

121

3.5%

All other categories

1,266

1.3%

Passenger Cars

19,017

403

2.1%

276

1.5%

Small Commercial Vehicles

2,644

1.1%

Category L

3,904

688

17.6%

All other categories

1,636

0.7%

Passenger Cars

13,132

366

2.8%

501

3.8%

Small Commercial Vehicles

2,364

1.1%

Category L

2,989

150

E-Kickscooters

191

100%

All other categories

1,439

0.4%

Passenger Cars

11,396

497

4.4%

886

7.8%

Small Commercial Vehicles

1,073

4.7%

Category L

4,895

862

17.6

E-Kickscooters

1,075

100%

All other categories

1,172

1.8%

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The stock of licensed BEVs and PHEVs as of the 1st of January 2022 is shown in Chart 1.

Market share of BEVs and PHEVs as of 1st January 2022 6.0%

5000 4500

5.3%

5.0%

3 500 3 000

4.0% 3281 3 .0%

2500 2000 1901

1500

2.0%

1745

1000 500 0

0.4% 0.3% L Category

Passenger Cars BEVs

PHEVs

156

0.8%

0.3%

389

Small Commercial Vehicles %BEVs

All Other Categori es

%PHEVs

Figure 1 - Market share for BEVs and PHEVs as of 01/01/2022 OTHER GRANTS Since 2018, five grants have also been offered to importers of new cars who introduce electric vehicle servicing and staff training to their garages. Acknowledging the fact that the transition to ZLEVs will require time and cannot yet start for certain sectors, the LTD is also supporting the registration of vehicles with low emission internal combustion engines until the supply of EVs is enough to replace these completely. Grant schemes were also launched to promote the use of LPG as an alternative fuel. LPG is known to be less polluting when compared to petrol and diesel. The initial schemes were focused on petrol-powered cars, but lately new grants have also been issued for the modification of dieselpowered vehicles to operate in dualfuel mode.

For the first time in 2022, a grant scheme is being launched to promote the installation of photovoltaic panels on buses, coaches, and minibuses. These panels generate renewable solar energy and reduce the vehicle’s fuel consumption and, consequently, emissions. Finally, another two new grants being launched in 2022 will support economic operators to equip their existing heavy-duty vehicles with emission control devices such as DPFs and SCRs, and to replace their vehicle’s conventional drivetrains with new electrical powertrains, thus effectively converting their vehicles to BEVs.

1.0%

0.0%

Market Share

Quantity of Vehicles

4000

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STATE AID These grant schemes apply for private persons, businesses, local councils, and NGOs. In the case of companies and NGOs with an economic activity, the grant amounts are capped in accordance with the De Minimis state aid rules. These rules limit the total public funds that may be received by such operators from any government entity to €200,000 or €100,000 over any 3 consecutive years, depending on the industrial sector. CHARGING STATIONS The installation of charging stations for EVs along with all the related strategies and policies now fall within the remit of the Ministry of Energy, Enterprise, and Sustainable Development (MESD). Nevertheless, Transport Malta’s objectives to electrify Malta’s vehicle fleet rely strongly on the charging infrastructure available locally.

A public consultation on the Draft National Policy for Electric Vehicle Public Charging Infrastructure was concluded on the 27th of September by the MESD. A report on the feedback received was published in November 2022 and the publication of the final Policy is expected in the coming months. Further to this, in the budget speech for 2022, the Minister of Finance announced that 1,200 new charging points will be installed in the next three years. BEYOND FINANCIAL GRANT SCHEMES Grants cannot be seen in isolation, but as part of a much wider strategy promoting more sustainable means of transport. This strategy includes the facilitation of car sharing and carpooling, and the promotion of multimodal transport amongst others. The modal shift to small vehicles, personal carriers, walking and cycling, and mass transport is another fundamental part of this strategy.

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In terms of carpooling, a key operator reports providing more than 98,000 rides, covering over 11.6 million km, and saving 612 tons of CO2 when compared to trips taken with private cars . This achievement, and other similar ones, were further facilitated by the revision of the respective regulations carried out by the LTD in 2020.

Finally, important changes have been launched over the past years to promote the use of the public bus service, which is currently available for free for passengers who are:

The 2020 regulations on micromobility introduced and regulated a new vehicle within the local transport sphere – the e-kickscooter. E-kickscooters are an easy means to get from A to B and are ideal for what is normally referred to as lastmile transport. Malta was one of the first countries to legislate the use of e-kickscooters and the registration of such vehicles had exceeded 1,200 by the end of 2021. The introduction of this legislation was a bold move, considering that many other countries are yet to regularise this form of transport. Malta is now following interest in a new proposal from the European Commission which may result in harmonised regulation of this sector for the whole Union.

Moreover, in the budget for 2022, it was announced that public transport will be free for all Tallinja Card holders as from October 2022.

The modal shift towards the use of smaller vehicles, bicycles, and walking is being further encouraged through the development of better infrastructure. Even though this work falls directly under the scope of Infrastructure Malta, the LTD is actively involved in this process through the promotion for the use of pedelecs, which are electrically assisted bicycles.

• • • •

Between 14 and 20 years old; Students older than 21; Those aged 70 or over; and Persons with a disability.

NATIONAL AND REGIONAL PLANS FOR SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT The Directorate has an active role in the development of policies and strategies to support and promote this transition to more sustainable transport. In this respect, the LTD participates in the works related to the National Transport Plan and the National Energy Climate Plan (NECP). We are also following, with great interest, the various proposals included in the Green Deal and Fitfor-55 package launched by the European Commission in 2020. These proposals are meant to drive the union towards a gradual reduction in the emission of GHG by 55% by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050. Amongst the various proposals within this package, the LTD is directly involved in the works related to the Alternative Fuel and Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) and the Emission Trading System (ESR) for Road Transport.

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INNOVATION

CONCLUSION

The Directorate recognises that the local transport sector has always been a buyer of technology with little exposure to the innovation process leading to the development of newer and better vehicles. It is our intention to change this approach and bring the LTD closer to these development processes so that we can reap the benefits of new technology faster and more easily. This is expected to generate new opportunities to the local research and business community and, possibly, also generate new jobs and economic activity.

The road to a better quality of life is a long one and is affected by many variables. We are aware that land transport is an essential element of modern life but that it has various negative effects on the world around us. It is our intention and mission to reduce such impacts as much and as fast as possible, whilst assisting our local business community by offering better, cleaner, and more socially fair solutions to the Maltese population.

“The road to a better quality of life is a long one and is affected by many variables.”

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Learning about Sustainable Mobility in Primary and Secondary Schools Laura Sue Mallia Director Risk Management, Policy, & EU Affairs

Children make up less than twenty percent of our population, but they are our future. With this in mind, our team has embarked on a number of initiatives to engage with youngsters on their environmental experiences and to promote their understanding and participation in urban planning discussions. Students can contribute to sustainable mobility in several ways. Firstly, they contribute with their creativity and increased awareness leading to new perspectives on the relationship between the environment and transport. Secondly, their engagement challenges existing practices and strategies in order to plan for transport solutions and city mapping which meet the needs of the future generation. One of such initiatives undertaken by the Risk Management, Policy and EU Affairs Department was aimed at younger children in primary schools, where through close collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Sports, all students in State, Church, and Independent Schools were invited to express what sustainable transport means to them through art and creativity.

The response was overwhelming, where with over 400 submissions received the evaluation board had a difficult task in choosing the winners. Sustainable transport is given an interesting perspective through the eyes of children and it highlights the knowledge that at such a young age the students already have.

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Consistently through their work, the colourful environment, nature, and greenery share the canvas with children positioning themselves on scooters and bicycles where cars do not feature. This is a positive element showing that the younger generation is willing to embrace a change in the way they travel. The competition was categorised for children in year 1 – year 3 and year 4 – year 6 of primary school. During an awards event, held on the 21st of March at the Transport Malta Head Office, the winner in each category was awarded a bicycle and a helmet, and 5 runners-up for each category were given a book related to the subject. The schools of Xewkija Primary, Gozo College, and Qormi San Ġorġ Primary, St. Ignatius College, from which the winning submissions were received, will

have a bike rack installed within their premises with the aim of encouraging cycling amongst students and staff. The submissions will remain exhibited at the Transport Malta Head Office in Ħal Lija until 14th April 2022, from Monday to Friday between 8:00 and 16:00. Furthermore, we are presently engaging with secondary schools by providing sessions on sustainable mobility. The sessions, which take the form of a discussion, aim to reach out to the older 14–16-yearold students who are already eager to get their driving licence and purchase a vehicle. At this crucial point, we are meeting with these students to discuss their transport challenges as well as making them aware of alternatives to the private car and highlighting the benefits for their lifestyles. In the final part of

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the session, the students are asked to write down points on their needs, ideas, and how they see transport evolve in Malta. The feedback being received shows the realistic expectations focusing on being independently mobile and feeling safe on the road. The great majority of students show eagerness to adopt active modes of transport, especially cycling, where they have highlighted their concerns. These sessions end with us providing students with a bicycle lock as a token of participation and to encourage them to cycle more. Registration by schools for these interactive sessions is still open and schools can register through this link: https://forms.office.com/r/t2PvCd9dYi

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What are the views of Transport Malta on Autonomous Vehicles? Pierre Montebello Chief Officer Land Transport Directorate

Let’s try taking a peek into the future first. Let’s imagine 10, 15, 25 years down the road, having an autonomous vehicle taking our children to school, before taking us to work. Then, rather than being left unused at the carpark, it is routed to drop the parents off at the market or a café.This is definitely doable and not far-fetched. Such an automated system could enable car-sharing in a wider sense, with the potential to reduce passenger vehicles to a third of current numbers (according to an MIT study in Singapore).

Even freight transport and the delivery business can be transformed. In the case of Malta, as a major air and shipping hub, our country has a lot to gain from developments in this area. With automated transport, we could be less reliant on manpower, and see improvements in safety and productivity. Optimised routes and schedules will boost performance and help keep our country at the top of the trade.

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“Even freight transport and the delivery business can be transformed.”

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Transport Malta’s Views It is our view, and this is also my personal opinion, that connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technology is set to play a major role in the exciting transport revolution, helping improve and level up transport across the country by making everyday journeys cheaper, more flexible, more efficient, and more reliable. The potential benefits technology are vast.

the

Autonomous vehicles can transform our lifestyles. Given the new challenges our city-state faces with a growing population and limited land area, a combination of new technology, new business models, and forward-thinking regulation is needed to meet our needs. We also want to see the technology make transport greener and safer: • •

•

To better connect communities; To provide a means to drastically reduce urban congestion, with traffic lights/infrastructure and vehicles communicating with one another to keep traffic flowing; and To make our roads safer by reducing human errors that can lead to accidents.

As well as providing improved transport for all, we believe that this technology could also deliver huge economic benefits.

Later, we shall delve into the detail of where we stand with our preparedness in respect to autonomous driving and our current efforts. But, in a nutshell, we intend to start working on a clear and comprehensive ‘Future of Transport’ strategy. TM will also be developing the related REGULATION, aiding the investment in the innovation and skills and engaging the public to create a thriving sector. Transport Malta will also be working on a ‘Code of Practice’ for testing automated vehicles on specific roads. This code of practice will include the possibility to use autonomous vehicles on public roads, as long as they comply with relevant Maltese Laws, including having: • • •

A driver who is ready, able, and willing to resume control of the vehicle; A roadworthy vehicle; and Appropriate insurance in place.

By developing supportive regulation and expediting public acceptance, we will ensure a strong foundation upon which autonomous vehicles can be successfully deployed in Malta. With our emphasis on ensuring safety and security, this technology will support both public acceptance and safe deployment. Malta, as an island, is uniquely located to bring together world class expertise from across the public, private, and academic sectors to create an environment where innovation, safety, and regulation are delivered in unison. A perfect climate and a rather complex urban environment mean that if the technology works in Malta, there is a good probability that one can make it work anywhere. Our intention is to collaborate further with Infrastructure Malta and the government, to ensure that the Maltese road network and other critical infrastructure is ready to allow autonomous vehicles to operate, first in pilot mode and eventually on a larger scale.

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The work being undertaken by Transport Malta, other partners within the government, as well as the business or private sector, will ensure that Malta will have a proven track record in supporting this type of innovation. And this is exactly what we are doing together with various partners, as we have seen earlier. With the global market for cleaner, safer, and more efficient transport growing rapidly, Transport Malta will be striving to build an environment that attracts even more innovative businesses to pilot such technology.

In your view, how can Autonomous Vehicles be sustainable or lead to a more sustainable form of transport? Introduction Our world revolves around moving people and goods from point A to B — whether that’s across the village or town we live in or across the country. Fully autonomous vehicles are a groundbreaking technology that holds the potential to be one of the most transformative leaps in human innovation. But let’s see how autonomous vehicles and sustainable transport go hand in hand. First of all, emissions. When most people think of AVs, they think of the technology’s potential to increase safety and convenience. But the transition to AVs also offers the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support economic growth.

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With a supportive policy framework, AVs could play an important role in our vision for sustainable growth. And yes, most of the driverless vehicles being driven (and testdriven) today are already fully electric. Nevertheless, unless the car’s battery charge is powered entirely by clean energy, one would still be contributing indirectly to emissions (though, not nearly as much as a normal ICE engine). An autonomous future will contribute towards significant environmental improvements. Programmed with eco-driving and other measures, AVs can reduce their energy use and emissions. For example, AVs will be programmed to drive smoothly, with fewer starts and stops. This will help reduce traffic congestion, which in turn will reduce emissions.

Driverless cars also mean fewer cars per household. As per my opening statement, one vehicle can drop the kids off at school, take both parents to work, and then park itself until it’s time to pick them up again. One driverless car can literally get you to all the destinations you need to be at, so families can cut back on having 2 or 3 different cars to fit the needs of each person. This reduces the overall number of cars on the road, as well as unnecessary overlapping trips that contribute to emissions. It’s also expected that, as driverless car technology advances, the weight of cars will drop as a result of lighter batteries and less need for heavy safety modifications to the engine. This will also have a positive effect on energy consumption.

Driving Style

Reduction in overall number of trips

Even if the AV in question is powered in the traditional manner (i.e., Diesel or Petrol), an autonomous car uses significantly less fuel and energy when driving, compared to a vehicle driven by a human, as most fuel is burned when driving at high speeds, braking, and re-accelerating excessively.

AVs will also reduce the number of trips people need to make, saving time and reducing emissions. Autonomous electric delivery vehicles will be able to make routine deliveries, saving people time and carbon-intensive trips.

“With the right policies and industry considerations, commercial electric AV services can expand the number of clean kilometres driven on our roads.”

As an example, in the US, partnerships with companies like Domino’s, Kroger, Walmart, and UPS are already in the works, while the industry considers how it can benefit small local businesses.

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Traffic Congestion

In Conclusion

In addition to emissions and air pollution, traffic congestion in general is an inconvenience for most of us. Valuable urban areas are reserved for roads, in many cases leaving little to no area for pedestrians, cyclists, or parks. Congested city streets will be less prevalent when all vehicles on the road are driverless.

Driverless cars will not only help curb emissions, reduce fatalities, and allow, in our case Infrastructure Malta (the planners), to focus on green space more than roads, they’ll also allow for every commuter to have more time during their day.

Traffic moves more steadily, opening up new opportunities for city planning that focuses on pedestrians and green space rather than traffic flows. Additionally, the ability to have a driverless car take you wherever you need to be, opens up the possibility for more people to move outside of urban areas. Long Haul Trucking We definitely cannot leave this one out, although it is not necessarily 100% applicable to Malta due to the type of road network, our size, and our traffic conditions. Nevertheless, this can be applicable to Maltese haulers operating abroad. Research has found that autonomous long haul trucking can reduce fuel consumption by at least 10 percent1. The industry is also working on how AVs can use more efficient routes to improve traffic flow and mitigate congestion, thereby reducing emissions.

Source: https://www.sae.org/news/2019/12/ tusimple-autonomous-trucks-cut-fuel

With the right policies and industry considerations, commercial electric AV services can expand the number of clean kilometres driven on our roads. AV fleets operated by the industry are particularly well-suited for accelerating EV adoption because companies can determine how to charge thousands of electric cars more efficiently than an individual consumer. Electric AV rideshare and deliveries could reduce the number of personal vehicle trips that we take to work, school, and to run errands. It is now up to us to support change and the next critical steps that would bring our country closer to a safer and greener future.

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What role or stance has Transport Malta adopted to date with respect to Autonomous Vehicles? Pilot Projects In Malta there are currently two pilot projects being carried out, which Transport Malta is coordinating. One project involves the University of Malta, Infrastructure Malta, the Law Firm Camilleri Preziosi, and an organisation importing new and second-hand vehicles into Malta, which also operates in the fields of carpooling, car sharing, and chauffeurdriven vehicles. And here I am speaking of the Debono Group, that apart from importing Toyota vehicles into Malta, are also the company behind Cool™ and GoTo™. This group is performing a gap analysis of the Maltese legal, social, technical, and infrastructural preparedness for automated vehicles. This project will be concluded in Quarter 2 of this year and its deliverables are expected to be very useful for planning Malta’s transition to CCAM. Apart from Transport Malta, the other project involves Malta Public Transport as well as the University of Malta. The ultimate aim is to test the use of automated passenger transport vehicles (pods) on specific routes in Malta.

The Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects is also monitoring both projects very closely. The same project partners have carried out research to identify European funding opportunities. Subsequently, the Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, Transport Malta, as well as the partners themselves are working to secure EU funds in this regard. In the meantime, market research into different aspects of the project is also ongoing. This includes research about the types of vehicles available on the market, as well as the communication technology required to operate autonomous vehicles. Transport Malta has obviously taken an active role in the legislative aspect, with the aim of proposing a regulatory framework for the adoption of autonomous vehicles in Malta. It has also taken the role of coordinator, overseeing the various ongoing efforts.

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Fora?

Current standing

Apart from working very closely with or within the two consortia, over the past months Malta has been getting more involved in this new sector, mainly through participation in three different fora: • The Group of Experts (GE.3) on drafting of a new legal instrument on the use of automated vehicles in traffic within the UNECE; • The States Representative’s Group within the Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM) partnership within the UE; • The High-Level Meeting on Connected and Automated Mobility (HLM CAM), also within the EU.

Based on the information in hand so far, Malta’s current position is as follows: • The changes required in Malta’s laws to allow the use of automated vehicles still need to be established. • The road and digital infrastructure required for the operation of automated vehicles in Malta is still in its infancy or not yet existent, and its development needs significant work and investment. • Public awareness and readiness for the use of automated vehicles have not yet been assessed in an organised manner.

The key aim of this participation is to assess the state of play of this sector in other countries and identify what needs to be done in Malta in order to prepare for the introduction of such vehicle technologies on our roads. The next stage should be that of identifying the actions needed to catch up with other countries and, where possible, take a more leading role in this technological transition.

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Where does Malta stand in its preparedness for Autonomous Vehicles? Malta is following with great interest the international developments related to the area of autonomous driving. This new transport sector is seeing significant growth with manufacturers including higher levels of automation in their series vehicles, and various declarations from industry and academia with plans to increase the level of automation in future vehicles.

The potential impact of this new trend ranges throughout many transport sub-sectors: from shared mobility (taxis/cabs, pods, etc.) to personal cars, and all the way to logistics vehicles and truck platooning. The overarching objective of this technological development is that of limiting the human element in the control of vehicles, thus making transport operations safer (void of human errors) and more efficient. The shortage of professional drivers for passenger and cargo vehicles can also be addressed by having multiple vehicles that can travel with less or no human drivers.

Transport and Road Authorities' Perspective on Connected and Automated Transport Which vehicle class has the most potential for automation? 30

Private Cars

Trucks

Public Transport

Taxies/Cabs

Delivery Services

City Services Vehicles

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Interestingly enough, most countries have seen that the best test cases would be in the areas of Public Transport, Taxis/Shared transport, as well as delivery services. The two pilot projects to be conducted in Malta relate to the first two. When it comes to preparedness, it is true that Malta is a bit late and is being compared to what may be termed as ‘the laggards’ in Europe (same situation with Bulgaria). Nevertheless, a number of other countries are just ahead of us and are at a stage where they are mainly focusing on drafting the necessary regulations for the use of autonomous vehicles on their roads, be it for pilot purposes or otherwise. Such countries include Slovakia, Finland, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Czech Republic. Other countries are quite advanced and are at the forefront of such initiatives. These countries include Germany, France, and effectively Austria. Germany has even adopted new regulations, a legal framework (applicable from July 2022) allowing the use of Level 4 autonomous vehicles. Austria is also trialling Level 4 autonomous vehicles in a ‘live’ environment, where autonomous buses are being fully integrated into the public transport system. Also, I am pleasantly surprised to see that Greece has been testing autonomous/ driverless buses since 2014.

With the right mindset, something which I think we have, Malta can be quite aggressive in its stance on AVs and catch up with the majority of countries in a relatively short time. Being second at times can help, as we can base our work on the experience of others as well as learn from any of their past mistakes. The foundation certainly exists. As an example, Germany’s or France’s legislation, where, as indicated already, AVs are already being trialled, can be relatively easily adopted for Malta. The next immediate steps for Malta would be, to: • Draft a strategy on the adoption of AVs; and • Subsequently draft the necessary Legislation.

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The Car Culture: Looking Ahead Laura Sue Mallia Director Risk Management, Policy, & EU Affairs

Ritianne Buhagiar Manager Sustainability & EU Affairs

In the 20th century, the car has become synonymous with our identity, a measure of our achievements and economic stability. Car culture as well as related technology has made significant inroads in every corner of the world and our economic and social relationship with same is now so intertwined that unwinding it will require significant effort, change, and the assimilation of a different way of living and commuting. The 316 square kilometres of land that make up the Maltese Islands host over 400,000 vehicles. In the past ten years, the Maltese islands have experienced a 24% growth in population, 8% growth in GDP and the number of tourist arrivals has doubled to 2.7m in 2019; all this with the preliminary results from the National Household Travel Survey carried out in November 2021 showing that the personal car remains the preferred mode of transport by a significant share. Generally speaking, our lifestyles are major influences in promoting the car industry, with privately owned vehicles often appealing to people who are more concerned with private

ownership and individual freedom, and shared modes of transport being preferred by those more inclined towards increasing public spaces and communal living. It is acknowledged that the ingrained car culture is a major force acting against the uptake of active and more sustainable transport options leading to reduced air quality and congestion. Technology, in the form of cleaner and zero emissions transport will play a significant role in tackling air pollution, however, a behaviour change is needed to achieve the desired sustainability in transport.

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Technology in this area is therefore an essential tool but cannot be viewed as the solution. The way forward to address the current challenges is a multiple approach where the concept of multi-modality and a more integrated urban planning are given a more central role. There is widespread agreement that today’s scenario is unsustainable and in this regard Transport Malta understands its vital role in facilitating the shift towards alternative and more sustainable transport. In a recent initiative, a conference was organised on the 24th of February 2022, bringing together local and foreign experts to discuss the challenges and highlight opportunities in moving towards cleaner solutions within the transport sector. The themes discussed during parallel workshops included sustainable urban mobility planning, the role of sea and air transport in encouraging a modal

shift, electromobility, and autonomous vehicles. Transport Malta is actively exploring all these areas in its efforts to make local transport more sustainable. In particular, Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) and Sustainable Urban Logistic Plans (SULPs) are increasingly recognised approaches to urban mobility planning. In this regard, Transport Malta has secured funding through the European Commission’s Technical Support Instrument (TSI) for the provision of support in developing a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) and an integrated Sustainable Urban Logistics Plan (SULP) for each of the six regions, thus covering all of Malta and Gozo. The exercise, which we shall be embarking on in the coming weeks, shall include extensive stakeholder consultation which will be a pillar for the development of the holistic effective plans, and which also will provide well-studied measures and the timelines for their implementation.

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One may also note that Malta is already seeing a successful shift in trips from road to sea transport, through the increased use of ferry services. This has been encouraged in recent years through the upgrading of ferry related services. In the near future, sea and air connections will be developed further and extended through the intermodal hubs which Transport Malta will be working on. During the aforementioned conference, an intriguing discussion ensued on the potential use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, and the potential of these in reducing trips, especially within the logistics sector. This sector has been gaining more attention lately due to its impact on road transport emissions, but also due to the industry opportunities that lie in reducing these through targeted interventions.

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Having said this, it is acknowledged that cars will remain a part of the modern world and therefore we also look towards exploring alternative and more sustainable forms and the roles that they could play in the future. One development in this field is that of autonomous vehicles, in which Malta intends to be a forerunner and for which the groundwork for the initiation of two pilot projects are currently ongoing. Specifically, regarding this, on the 19th of May 2022 we shall be organising a seminar to discuss the recent developments and future industry opportunities in the field of vehicle automation.

“Malta is already seeing a successful shift in trips from road to sea transport, through the increased use of ferry services.”

Keynote local and foreign speakers will delve into the related technology advancements, legal and safety implications, as well as funding opportunities for future projects. The intention is therefore to explore the possibilities for more sustainable shared transportation that could also provide the same comforts of the private car but without the actual ownership of same. This is because transforming the transport sector to be cleaner, more efficient, and sustainable goes beyond the need to protect our planet, but also has additional benefits for the physical and mental wellbeing of our society, and therefore, we owe this to our future generations.