Transport Minister's 'vision' for roads was discredited in 1960s, say Greens

Transport minister Aaron Farrugia is promoting mobility policies that were discredited across the European continent 50 or 60 years ago, the Greens have charged.

The ADPD was reacting to Farrugia’s dismissal of criticism about poorly designed and maintained cycling lanes on Maltese roads.

Farrugia said that cycling advocacy groups wanted to “prioritise bicycles over cars” and argued that Malta’s lack of space meant that compromises were inevitable when designing new roads.

In a statement on Saturday, the ADPD said that the minister’s comments were evidence of the government’s lack of vision.

“It is absolutely false that the construction of more flyovers, including the current confusion surrounding the airport as well as that being proposed for Msida, and the haphazard widening of roads will lead to more mobility ‘efficiency’. What leads the Minister to these mistaken ideas?” asked ADPD secretary general Ralph Cassar.

"The minister has failed to notice that the transport policy he is promoting has already failed in Europe in the 60s and the 70s – far from being a ‘modern policy’," he added. 

Cassar rattled off a series of mobility initiatives that have been successfully...