Fortune favours the bold

It is an undisputed fact that the island is facing serious mobility problems caused by more cars on the cluttered roads. Many point out that this is the result of new affluence not helped by more jobs created that attract an influx of foreign labour and galloping tourism.

Prosperity comes with a cost.

In fact, motorists are the first to suffer the inconvenience of increased vehicular presence which is making commuting a daily nightmare. This is no exaggeration. Just reflect on studies which indicate commuters waste at least 30 minutes a day being blocked in traffic. Nobody disputes the fact that the nation’s productivity trajectory depends on having an efficient road infrastructure. Perhaps more user-friendly bus services.

One solution was proposed by ex-prime minister Joseph Muscat who suggested that government alleviate the problem by making public transport free for all. It started this year by giving free bus rides for the elderly over 75 years of age.

Certainly, the Opposition sees red when asked about recent policy measures by government in a massive €700 million seven-year plan to build new roads and widening of existing roads. Not to forget building of an impressive flyover in Marsa and starting preliminary calls for tenderers to bid for a subsea Gozo tunnel.

The Opposition disagrees, as it maintains that this plan does not solve the problem and unceremoniously labels it as a short-term palliative. Reality checks tells us otherwise. In our hectic life, few stop and contemplate how the proliferation of traffic is the reflection of acquired affluence by workers who are finding good jobs and have a higher propensity to spend on entertainment, food, commuting, mobile telephony, overseas holidays. Certainly, cheap bank loans also help drivers to buy a second used car.

As can be expected, in the current political scenario as Dr Abela has recently been sworn in as the prime minister replacing the incumbent Joseph Muscat, he faces a lot of pressure to prune the political garden. The Opposition caught in a weak position, sees the Labour party gathering more hubris under the guidance of a energetic new prime minister.

It laments that the perceived affluence is paper thin and wealth distribution is not equitable. A PN spokesman conjures a vision of poverty traps hidden behind the lure of statistics. They fear that improvements in the economic growth is not percolating down to grassroots level, saying the working poor hypothesis has crept in. Some mention the perceived slowdown in the property sector (this employs around 43k). Government hit back by saying it increased minimum wage by 25% over the past five years and regularly improved healthcare and welfare schemes.

Some armchair critics label this as another conspiracy theory that blames the ineffectiveness of the economy to percolate tangible benefits to the “lower income’ echelons of society. Perhaps the mystery can be solved once the Central Bank engages in a scientific report on the effectiveness of the so-called trickle-down economy.

It is a dichotomy that while the economy is racing ahead and firing on all cylinders (public debt down to 46% of GDP) yet there still loom fundamental problems relating to persons caught in the poverty trap plus a groundswell discord about the deleterious effect of billowing CO 2 emissions and noise pollution. It was no surprise, that a resurgent public transportation system is being prophesised - expected to revolutionize mass transit – infusing a cataclysmic change. Opinions differ about the way to go forward.

For example, commuters in Gozo prefer a metro system linking strategic points like Valletta, the University and Mater Dei Hospital - a master structure leading to a tunnel. Dr Mercieca (under the Muscat administration was responsible for chairing the committee piloting the tunnel project) disagrees - saying that a metro could pose certain environmental problems such as the impact on areas where it would be above ground.

Since 2013, one can remember various sound bites from lobbyists proposing the construction of the monorail system. This, involves building overground and underground lines running North-South and West-East, intersecting at key traffic junctions and feeding at its various stops into other above-ground public transport means.

Previous studies had estimated the cost of the 70km service line will reach €1.42 billion (more than 7 year’s worth in cohesion funds). Not a small ticket for a tiny economy with a €13 billion annual GDP. The government, while keeping its cards close to its chest, contends that studies indicate a metro system is only sustainable with a higher population otherwise the fare needs to be subsidized out of increased taxation.

Among the monorail models, one finds many types such as the Maglev model (see picture) boasting of an advanced technology in which magnetic forces lift, propel, and guide a vehicle over a guide-way.

Media comments reveal that detailed studies are being carried out by Arup, a London-based engineering and consultancy firm. Another opportunity is the hybrid system of buses and rail proposed by Bjorn Bonello, a planning consultant.

Whichever model is chosen, one has to make certain that stations are located close to residential areas otherwise no one will use them. The million-dollar question is who will foot the bill. Perhaps the answer is in the air when one contemplates the financial assistance that China is reputed to offer. This package is part of its policy to help countries which sign up in the initiative namely the “One Belt and One Road (OBOR).

Historically, one recalls how over the past centuries trade flourished code named the Silk Road, a network of trade routes that linked China to Central Asia and the Arab world. Billions of dollars have been invested by China, since it was launched in 2013 assisting over 60 countries, in a range of infrastructure projects including railways, bridges, roads and ports.

It was no coincidence that during a visit by ex-prime minister Joseph Muscat to China, saw the signing of a memorandum of undertaking. This was a renewal of a previous one signed five years ago and encapsulates the wishes of China in its unique policy to trade and expand business opportunities with other countries.

The Economist reported how recently Italy’s government launched a “Task Force China” to develop a national strategy to boost economic and trade relations with China and guarantee itself - a “position of leadership in Europe”. This initiative is expected to increase exports from Italy to Asia and attract much needed inward investment.

Malta may also benefit, if it boldly embarks on this ambitious roadmap to attract China investment in a country-wide mass transit infrastructure.

Fortune favours the bold - will Dr Abela lead the way?