Malta to undergo national survey to pave the way for metro system

Oct 22 2021

With the subject of Malta’s metro system becoming a heated point of national discussion, Transport Minister Ian Borg has revealed that a household survey will be conducted to analyse the nation’s travel patterns and hopefully pave the way for alternative transport, including the metro itself.

The Minister stated that decisions as large as the implementation of the metro system require heavy research and analysis, which data will refined the decisions surrounding the metro proposal. The National Transport Household survey is held every 10 years and will be done digitally through a collaboration between the National Statistics Office (NSO) and the Transport Ministry.

Such a survey will highlight Malta’s travel patterns and behaviour and will contribute to the introduction of policies and measures within Malta’s Transport Master Plan update by 2030. The master plan will be an essential part of Malta’s journey towards meeting the European Union’s environmental targets.

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PN vows to extend grants to second-hand electric vehicles

Oct 22 2021

During a recent conference, The Nationalist Party revealed its plan to extend grants on electric cars to individuals looking to purchase second-hand vehicles.

This was revealed by PN MP David Thake, where he went on to explain that promoting purchases of second-hand vehicles contributes to the creation of a circular mentality. Malta currently has 80,000 electric vehicles in its roads, with 60 charging points across the island. Thake highlighted that the points are not highlighted clearly and there is a lack of penalisation on regular cars parking in the dedicated spaces.

The PN MP also bashed Transport Minister Ian Borg and his ministry’s lack of doing any “serious planning” while shining a light on the PN’s proposal to increase carpooling incentives.

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Malta ranked 7th best in the world for commuting

Oct 22 2021

In a surprising revelation revealed by UK-based price comparison service Uswitch, Malta has been ranked as the 7th best country in the world for commuting. The survey breaks down countries commuting habits with factors like average commute time, public charging stations per million people and average monthly public transport pass cost, with Malta ranking one spot above Bulgaria and one below France.

Turkey secured the number one spot with an average commute time of 23 minutes and the cheapest average fuel price per litre at $0.89. Malta also received praise for its CO2 emissions of three tonnes per person, shining a light on Malta commuting contribution. Uswitch highlighted that Malta seems to be making the best progress so far with regards to green alternatives.

Malta currently has over 400,000 licensed vehicles, with the majority of which (76.8%) being passenger cars, 13% being commercial vehicles and 8% being motorcycles.

Do you agree with this revelation?

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Legal Aid Malta upgrades service to low-income persons with new digital service

Oct 22 2021

Following the Budget 2022 reveal, the Legal Aid Malta Agency welcomed a positive update to its services, with a step forward into the digital realm. Eligible applicants may now apply for the service from the comfort of their own home or at the nearest governmental office for help on how to apply online.

This new digital service provides the opportunity for individuals to see if they are eligible for such service through the online system and if a person is eligible, they may submit their documents via the online system and eventually become assigned professional legal assistance. The legal aid may assist the individual and represent them in court, the procedure of which has become more efficient and transparent through the digitisation.

The Legal Aid’s web page will also be more interactive and attracted with further details on the different aspects of such assistance. At present, after the client is requested the appropriate legal documents, an appointment is made as soon as possible to conduct a number of tests as well as an appointment with a lawyer to conduct a merit test. After the tests are conducted, a recourse to the request for legal aid is presented in court and within three days of the court decree, the client is notified of the lawyer and legal procurator assigned to them. The client is then informed via SMS with the name of the lawyer and contact details.

The proposal, which was presented in the Budget 2022 will facilitate clients’ online application for whatever services they may need. For example, if someone requires a lawyer for legal assistance in a criminal case, one can visit the online system via E-ID and provide their documents to check if they are eligible for assignment. The legal services will cover all fronts from criminal to civil.

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Photo Source: DOI – Clodagh O’Neill, DOI – Clifton Fenech.