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This week is European Mobility Week which aims to help improve people’s health and quality of life by promoting healthier forms of transport and which will culminate in a car-free day on Saturday the 22nd of September. Any local initiatives however, are bound to lose credibility given the public perception that far from decreasing, vehicle emissions are on the rise.
In this regard the environmental NGO Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) said it has repeatedly contacted the Malta Transport Authority (ADT), enquiring what measures are being taken to remedy the situation, however to date no answers have been given. As a result, FAA said they have no choice but to voice these questions publicly.
“Some time ago the ADT launched its ‘reporting of vehicle emissions’ campaign; although many felt that the public was reduced to snitching on each other, many reluctantly cooperated for the sake of improving our air quality. In fact there was a marked decrease in the number of offending vehicles as soon as the campaign was launched.
However we have noticed and also received many reports that the level of vehicle emissions is rising again. Apparently the number of sms reports has decreased somewhat, most probably due to public response fatigue, ie. people forget, and also give up hope of seeing the situation improve. This is understandable given that one never actually sees vehicles being pulled up for exhaust tests, especially on trucks and buses which seem to have remained unaffected by the regulations.”
FAA therefore asks:
- Whether the ADT has any intention of launching a ‘reminder campaign’ to reinvigorate public response?
- How many on-site kerbside checks are being carried out on a monthly/yearly basis?
- What steps are being taken to rectify the situation re. commercial vehicles?
- What is the role of the police/wardens on this issue?
- What is the percentage of fines being issued for excessive emissions in relation to parking tickets?
- What steps are being taken to stamp out this problem at source (it can easily be observed that certain makes of cars are by far the worst offenders. Is this related to the importation of second-hand cars from the Far East, and what regulations are in force/planned in order to resolve this problem before it hits our roads, not after?)
- Given that Malta will have to reduce its CO2 emissions from transport from 2012 and that the diesel consumption of SUVs and large cars actually exceeds consumption by industry in Malta, what measures are being planned by ADT to encourage the use of public transport, cycling, car-pooling and low-emission vehicles?
Further to the above, FAA is receiving reports on increased traffic and therefore increased emissions in Sliema, while Valletta residents are saying that the new Valletta entry traffic regulations are actually causing an increase in traffic into Valletta as now all drivers can enter Valletta for a quick errand. Moreover, car spaces previously occupied by 8-hour employee parking now have a far higher turnover of short-stay cars. In requesting proper traffic and air quality monitoring to assess the situation, members of the public are being bounced between MEPA and ADT. What needs to be done in order to have such testing carried out?
While awaiting answers to the above questions, FAA highlights the fact that though air pollution may not cause asthma directly, asthma is aggravated by air pollution, with children suffering from asthma developing more symptoms of bronchitis as levels of particulate air pollution rise. Studies by the California Air Resources Board also show that workers exposed to higher levels of diesel emissions are more likely to develop lung cancer while recent studies in the Netherlands show decreased lung function and increased respiratory illness related to diesel particles amongst children living near motorways.
Given these facts, we feel that the present situation regarding fuel emissions is far from acceptable and we look forward to ADT’s taking decisive steps to remedy the situation as soon as possible.
www.ambjentahjar.org
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