During a press conference in Birżebbuġa, Alternattiva Demokratika said that the warning by the European Commission about Government’s failure to submit a National Air Pollution Control Plan further confirms that the Maltese Government does not consider air pollution and Maltese citizens’ quality of life as a priority. To date the draft plan has been issued for public consultation when the deadline for submission was back in April 2019.
Alternattiva Demokratika Secretary General Ralph Cassar said:”Not only is Government procrastinating, on top of that the draft plan, published long after the deadline for submission to the EU Commission, is weak and does not contain effective measures to reduce toxic gas emissions. NOx gases, emitted in urban areas by cars, cause respiratory diseases. Current emissions stand at 4.9 kilotonnes, more than double the limit of 2 kilotonnes. The draft report unashamedly proposes that the emissions are cut to just 4.5 kilotonnes. How does Government expect to be taken seriously when it proposes maintaining emissions at more than double the limits? 41.7% of NOx in Malta is emitted by vehicles with the rest emitted by various sources of combustion of fossil fuels.”
Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that AD has been making proposals on how to tackle pollution for years on end. There is a need to switch at a much faster pace to renewable energy sources, from sun, to wind, to other sources of renewable energy. In the transport sector all Ian Borg is doing is making sure that more and more traffic is induced with the resulting increase in pollution. “We want to see a drastic reduction in car dependency. We want zero-emission, massive pedestrianisation, space on roads reserved for public transport and a Bus Rapid Transit system. We want bicycle superhighways connecting localities in Malta and Gozo.”
Carmel Cacopardo concluded by saying that even pollution from shipping needs to be tackled. “It is positive that Government has plans to introduce shore-to-ship electricity supply in the Grand Harbour. We urge Government to introduce shore-to-ship electricity also at the Freeport. Air pollution needs to be addressed effectively all over our country.”
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Il-Gvern mhux jagħti prijorita’ lill-kwalita’ tal-arja u lit-tnaqqis tal-emmissjonijiet
Waqt konferenza stampa f’Birżebbuġa, Alternattiva Demokratika saħqet li t-twissija tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea lill-Gvern Malti li għadu ma ssottomettiex il-pjan dwar il-kontroll tat-tniġġis (National Air Pollution Control Plan), tikkonferma li l-gvern qed ikaxkar saqajh fejn jidħol it-tniġġis u għaldaqstant li qed jiġi jaqa’ u jqum mill-kwalita’ tal-ħajja tan-nies. Sfortunatament il-Gvern għadu biss wasal sa abbozz ta’ pjan li ħareġ għall-konsulktazzjini pubblika. Huwa ta’ għajb li l-Gvern ma jqisx is-suġġett tat-tniġġis bħala importanti. Il-Gvern kellu jissottometti l-pjan sa April tal-2019.
Ralph Cassar, Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika qal:”Mhux talli l-abbozz tal-pjan għall-kontroll tat-tniġġis huwa dgħajjef, għax ma jipproponix miżuri effettivi biex jitnaqqas drastikament it-tniġġis minn gassijiet li jikkawżaw mard repiratorju mill-karozzi, imma talli l-gvern qed ikaxkar saqajh. Il-pjan propost tal-gvern huwa tal-mistħija għax għalkemm suppost l-ammont tal-gassijiet NOx jitniżżel taħt 2 kilotunnellati, illum bin-nuqqas ta’ miżuri serji l-ammonti ta’ NOx huwa ta’ 4.9 kilotunnellati, jiġifieri kważi d-doppju ta’ permissibbli. Il-Gvern mhux qed jistħi jipproponi li l-ammonti jinżlu biss għal 4.5 kilotunnellati. Ta’ min ifakkar li 41.7% tal-NOx jiġi mill-karozzi, il-bqija jiġi minn sorsi ta’ enerġija li jużaw il-fossil fuels.”
Iċ-Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika Carmel Cacopardo qal li Alternattiva Demokratika ilha żmien tagħmel proposti biex jissolvew il-problemi tat-tniġġis. Qal li fil-qasam tal-enerġija hemm bżonn li nimxu malajr lejn sorsi ta’ enerġija nadifa, bħar-riħ u x-xemx b’ritmu ħafna iktar mgħaġġel. Fil-qasam tat-trasport Ian Borg qed iżid it-tniġġis billi jibni aktar toroq għall-karozzi. Minflok aħna nipproponu zero-emission zones, aktar pjazzez għan-nies, toroq b’aktar spazju għat-trasport pubbliku u sistema Bus Rapid Transit, u bicycle superhighways li jgħaqqdu lil Malta u Għawdex kollha, fost affarijiet oħra.
Carmel Cacopardo żied li anke t-tniġġis mill-vapuri hemm bżonn li jonqos sew. “Fil-qasam tal-portijiet huwa tajjeb li qed jitħejjew pjani għal kontra t-tniġġis mill-vapuri bis-sistema magħrufa bħal shore-to-ship electricity supply. “Il-Gvern fl-estimi ħabbar li din ser tkun implimentata fil-Port il-Kbir. Hemm ħtieġa ukoll li din is-sistema issir ukoll fil-Port ta’ Marsaxlokk biex ikun indirizzat it-tniġġis mill-vapuri li kontinwament jużaw is-servizzi tal-Port Ħieles.”
