In this exclusive interview with Design & Build, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Dr Ian Borg speaks of roads and a perspective of constant change aimed at delivering a sustainably greener country.
“I think that the biggest challenge is to continuously keep in mind the need to revise”. This was the opening gambit with which Minister for Infrastructure Ian Borg evaluated the question put to him as to what, in his major portfolio, was the biggest challenge.
That he loves, relishes even, a challenge is obvious. His portfolio includes anything from the restoration of the Triton Fountain to the Marsa Junction Project to the Malta National Park. Such projects take a longer time to implement. Minister Borg qualified his statement on change: “it’s essential to consider the dynamicity of the project site and life around it. That is why we make it a must to periodically review our plans and update where necessary to reflect any foreseeable or actual changes happening in the area or society in general.” Apart from this, these kinds of projects require a lot of resources. That, he added, means it takes longer to acquire funding, draft applications and plans, conduct the necessary studies and impact assessments and draft and award tenders for works.
Getting all players to sing from the same hymn book can be tricky and good management as well as a general inclination towards dialogue and discussion are required. “Words aren’t enough to build the foundations of the Marsa Junction or to surface its flyovers and roads, but I think they are an important starting point to make sure that all stakeholders are being heard and considered,” smiled the minister, adding that these projects had one aim in mind: improvement of the standard of living.
Complex projects
These are not called major projects for nothing. The Marsa Junction Project involved a lot of different team players and separate processes because it is divided into three separate phases and sub-phases within them. “The Malta National Park is one of the larger co-ordinated efforts. It brings together such varied and diverse aspects that we need to co-ordinate on every level, from lands to cleansing to construction to infrastructure to environment. The list goes on. It’s a lot of work and a lot of coordination, but it’s a national dream and we can’t wait to deliver,” said the minister.
Another important project which brings a lot of team players to the table is the Malta-Gozo Tunnel. “It’s an unprecedented endeavour for our country and the subsea infrastructure requires specialised technical expertise and resources. We have recently announced that four companies and consortia, including major multinational infrastructure companies from different countries, submitted their offers to participate in the first stage of the process to select the concessionaires who will build and operate this permanent link. The selection process is a very thorough three-stage mechanism. It is taking place in conjunction with several technical, social, economic and environmental studies involving experts from many different fields; we want to make sure that we deliver the highest quality and safest possible infrastructure to our people. So, yes, definitely a coordinated effort,” explained Minister Borg with a gleam of anticipation at the challenges this project will offer.
Intricate Planning
Planning and optimising plans is crucial in multi-phase and multi-stakeholder tasks such as these. “We plan ahead to make sure that our projects are tackling long-term issues for the foreseeable future. Our projects are planned to meet current challenges and provide for future requirements as well. The Central Link Project, for example, is planned to halve travel times and reduce air pollution even when considering future increases in transportation demands. But we are always willing to make adjustments that can augment the social and economic benefits of our investments, because we always strive to do better” said Minister Borg.
The selection process …is taking place in conjunction with several technical, social, economic and environmental studies
He referred to cyclists and their place in the road hierarchy. Minister Borg said that as part of a holistic Government plan to improve and prepare roads for alternative means of transport, government has already started including facilities and safe infrastructure in a number of projects where the terrain and space allowed. These include shared priority cycle lanes, as in Mdina Road in Żebbuġ and tal-Balal Road between Naxxar and San Ġwann, cycle lanes separated from the road by bollards or rumble strips as there are in the Coast Road and in Buqana Road near Mosta, and segregated pedestrian and cycle tracks like the one in Triq l-Aħħar Ħbit mit-Torok – known better as taċ-Ċawsli – between Żabbar and Żejtun, Luqa Road in Santa Luċija and Qormi Road and St Thomas Road in Luqa.
“We are also working on a number of pedestrian and cycling bridges or overpasses,” explained the minister giving some examples of these initiatives. The first completed one was in Aviation Avenue in Luqa and, he added, work is currently underway on another in San Ġorġ Preca Road in Blata l-Bajda. In the meantime, he said, Transport Malta has also drafted a cycling policy which is currently being updated and which itself includes a number of proposed safe cycling routes to be introduced in our road network.
The environmental aspect
His ministry however is one in which one is ‘damned if you do and damned if you don’t’. Environmental depredation has been a constant criticism. “We always do our best to be environmentally conscious. I personally come from a background of farming, which is very closely tied to the natural environment, and I will always to my best to conserve and respect it,” said the minister firmly. He acknowledged that certain projects require the uptake of land, and “When this is the case, we always do our utmost to adjust our plans to have the least possible impact on the environment, while making additional mitigation measures. Most of our major road projects include sizeable landscaped areas as well as new trees, and we strive to improve the aesthetic environment of our road network with every project,” said Minister Ian Borg.
government has already started including facilities and safe infrastructure in a number of projects where the terrain and space allowed
In the meantime, he added, Infrastructure Malta has also embarked on a nationwide tree planting project. So far, the agency has planted over 12,000 trees in different areas around the island, including in public gardens and open spaces as well as along the sides of multiple roads. He also recalled the community initiatives carried out through the Public Works Department, including the regeneration of public gardens and playgrounds, the introduction of new open spaces and the Malta National Park project.
Beating the traffic
However, greenery is not the only solution to the almost endemic problem of traffic pollution. Malta needs to use more public transport facilities. A piece of cake, you would think in such a small island. Not the case, as various governments have found to their chagrin. “This is not something that can be achieved through one or a few measures – it is part of a larger modal shift we are gradually promoting through different methods, which vary from financial grants and schemes to the introduction of new, attractive sustainable means of transport,” observed the minister for transport.
“Investments in related facilities, such as higher quality bus shelters, free Wi-Fi on all buses, and new vehicles to add to the network are a constant,” said Minister Borg.
He said that last year government got 40 new buses. 10 of these replaced vehicles which were then taken off the network, while the remaining 30 allowed for service improvements because of a larger fleet. “We had some positive figures in this regard in 2019, and I only hope to improve upon them” he added.
there has been a great rise in interest in ferries between Valletta and Sliema and Valletta and the Three Cities, a service which is planned to be expanded
Having said that, observed Minister Borg, an improved service will only lead to a finite percentage increase. The rest is up to local transport culture. “Our free public transport benefit has been extended to include all 14 to 20-year-olds, all full-time students aged 21 and over, persons with disability and elderly people aged 75+. We’ve witnessed considerable increases due to this benefit in past years and we will continue working hard until we can extend this benefit to more and more parts of our society” said the minister.
It is interesting to observe, noted Minister Borg, that even though we live on an island, many of us automatically think of buses when we speak about public transport, and think that for most of our localities, buses are the only available alternative as we speak. However, he said, “there has been a great rise in interest in ferries between Valletta and Sliema and Valletta and the Three Cities, a service which is planned to be expanded.”
Thinking outside the box
And not just ferries. A potential metro system is the dream of hundreds, if not thousands, of Maltese people, said the minister. He added that Transport Malta is currently carrying out the necessary feasibility studies and assessments, which will then allow government to decide whether it is in fact a realistic, viable and good solution for our islands.
Traffic reduction, said Minister Ian Borg, is being tackled on multiple levels. “First of all, we have to consider the current volume of traffic. While planning for a longer-term culture shift in the use of private versus shared vehicles, we cannot allow our road network to remain congested in the meantime. We have therefore embarked on a nationwide upgrade of our road network. Secondly, we are pushing to incentivise people to opt for smaller and more sustainable means of transport, such as pedelecs and electric motorcycles. A third dimension in this regard is the introduction of new concepts, such as carpooling, car sharing, bike sharing and e-kickscooters,” said Minister Borg, adding that new legislation too is being considered for such new modes of transportation.
we are implementing several other road projects both in our main road network as well as on our rural and residential roads
In all these sectors, too, Minister Borg said that public private partnership is more than welcomed. “We will always back and support anyone who wants to have a positive impact on our country, be it in terms of social action, educational campaigns or positive culture shifts. We have been more then pleased by the clear interest shown by the private sector in terms of our available transport services”, said the minister. He added that in just a few years, there are more than one bike sharing provider, a car sharing service, a carpooling service and several other private companies interested in offering such transport solutions. “Apart from the local market and services, this Government has also done its best to encourage businesses and NGOs to invest in cleaner transport solutions. Our financial grant schemes for electric vehicles, for example, are open to these two sectors, while the Government also offers benefits for companies who organise green collective transport,” added Minister Borg.
Constant maintenance
The Grand Harbour Clean Air Project is set to reduce the air pollution that cruise liners and Ro-Ro ships produce when visiting the Grand Harbour by over 90%.
Just as houses are always in need of some maintenance, infrastructure too is never a done thing. Listing an impressive string of projects such as the Kappara Junction Project, Regional Road, tal-Balal Road, Buqana Road to name but a few, Minister Borg said that “We are currently past the 65% mark on the Marsa Junction Project and more than halfway done with the Santa Luċija Tunnels. The Central Link Project is also taking shape, and in the meantime we are implementing several other road projects both in our main road network as well as on our rural and residential roads.”
Maritime infrastructure has also been an important part of Dr Borg’s portfolio. “We have already invested in our inland ferry landing site at Marsamxett and similar projects are underway in Sliema and Cospicua. The Mġarr Gozo Marina is currently undergoing a reorganisation project which will include new facilities for fishermen, and we have seen smaller but similar interventions in Santa Marija Bay in Comino and other investments in Marsaxlokk, among others. We recently announced the Grand Harbour Clean Air Project which will invest in the infrastructure required to provide an electrical supply for cruise liners visiting our ports so they may turn off their engines and continue to operate sustainably. A Grand Harbour upgrade plan is also in the pipeline” observed the minister. He added that the maritime and the aviation sectors are also benefitting from public-private collaboration.
We will always back and support anyone who wants to have a positive impact on our country
In 2017, prior to the General Election, the present administration promised to invest in residential roads. Minister Borg said that government has made an unprecedented €700 million investment to be spread out over 7 years to rebuild every residential road in the country, prioritising the roads which are either in very poor condition, have never been built – new roads – or are of strategic importance for the local community.
“In just the first year, we contracted 290 roads and completed work on 130 of these. Work is currently underway on 50 more roads and the agency is already in the process of identifying and planning more sets,” said Minister Borg. He added that following discussions with stakeholders such as local councils as well as residents, a number of separate investments in emergency road reconstruction and maintenance works in areas such as St Paul’s Bay, Sliema and Mosta, have been undertaken. “We have found a good and cooperative partner in our Local Councils who have joined us around the discussion table and put forward their ideas, proposals and concerns for their respective localities to help us identify and prioritise residential roads for our lists. In short, yes, I am very satisfied with our Local Councils and I think they are doing a stellar job within our communities” said the Minister.
In just the first year, we contracted 290 roads and completed work on 130 of these. Work is currently underway on 50 more roads
With transport and traffic being so much under scrutiny, the allotment of land for mobility purposes could well prove to be as challenging as enticing a population; seemingly apathetic in this regard, into utilising better modes of transportation will undoubtedly be.
Dr Borg, young and dynamic as he is, seems to relish a challenge and we wait in anticipation for the positive realisation of his Ministry’s objectives.
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