The European Commission revealed in a new report that from traffic pollution, whether it be noise or aerial, as well as congestion, Malta is losing around €400 million per year.
The commission revealed that the external costs of transport amount to around 3.6% of the island’s gross domestic product (GDP).
What’s worrying is that the figure is also on the rise, confirming similar concerns which were raised by previous studies such as a UOM 2015 research. Back then, the issue was costing Malta around €274 million.
Still, the University study predicted the costs to reach around €300 million by 2020. The report highlighted Malta’s dependence on road mobility, inefficient road networks and a preference for private transport as the main perpetrators.
The study emphasised the lack of ‘soft mobility infrastructure’ such as pavements and cycling lanes, which discourage the use of alternative modes of transport. To tackle the issue, the study said that improving public transport would have to take place.
Malta is also struggling to achieve environmentally sustainable economic growth and mobility. This means reducing traffic congestion and decarbonising transport. The high volume of generated construction and demolition also poses challenges.
#MaltaDaily