On Tuesday October 25, during peak traffic in the afternoon, activists from Friends of the Earth Malta, Moviment Graffitti and Rota gathered at Msida Creek with bicycles, placards and flyers. They were inviting other members of the public to join their call on the government to invest in the people of Malta, to decongest the roads and provide our society the possibility to use sustainable modes of transport, safely.
The aim of the direct action was to address the island-wide issues experienced as a result of extreme car dependence: pollution, noise and road safety concerns. It is governmental inaction that has facilitated this hierarchy of transport that congests our roads, contributes to carbon emissions and makes people feel as though they have no safe alternative. With
the global climate talks at COP27 just around the corner, where countries come together to work towards mitigating the full impacts of climate change, the time to act is now. We must join together to bring about a move towards a healthier, safer and eco-friendly Malta. It is time we prioritise people over petrol, and empower citizens to make greener transport
choices.
Today’s protest is not an isolated event, we are working as a collective to highlight a lack of government interest and strategy to invest in better transport infrastructure, and we ask the following demands, to bring positive change:
- Better bus service and more regular and reliable bus routes
- Support for active modes of travel
- Safer roads, including investment in safe walking and cycling infrastructure
Join our call and sign the open letter to the Transport Minister, to demand action . The streets belong to the people and everyone should feel safe to use active modes of travel, which are environmentally friendly and better for our wellbeing. If you are fed up being stuck in traffic, breathing polluted air, and feeling unsafe on the roads, take action today!
Poplu mhux petrol
Aħna qegħdin nikkontestaw lill-Gvern sabiex jinvesti fil-poplu Malti biex jitnaqqas it-tniġġis fit-toroq filwaqt li jipprovdi l-possibilità li jintużaw mezzi attivi tat-trasport li huma ta’ benefiċċju għall-ambjent.
Fil-25 t’Ottubru, Friends of the Earth Malta, flimkien ma’ Moviment Graffitti u Rota, ingħaqdu biex jindirizzaw il-problema nazzjonali tal-użu eċċessiv tal-karozzi minħabba n-nuqqas ta’ toroq u infrastruttura addattata għat-trasport attiv li hu sostenibbli. Dan hu riżultat ta’ Gvern apatetiku li ffaċilita ġerarkija ta’ trasport li tniġġes it-toroq, tikkontribwixxi
għall-emissjonijiet tad-CO 2 u tikkonvinċi lill-poplu li m’hemmx mezz iżjed sigur ta’ trasport.
Il-ħin biex nieħdu azzjoni huwa issa, peress li t-taħditiet dwar il-klima fil-COP27 jinsabu wara l-kantuniera u bosta pajjiżi se jinġabru biex jaħdmu flimkien sabiex jitnaqqsu l-effetti tat-tibdil fil-klima. Hemm bżonn li ningħaqdu flimkien biex naħdmu favur pajjiż sostenibbli li l-poplu jista’ jgawdi.
Wasal iż-żmien li nipprijoritizzaw il-poplu mhux il-petrol. Jeħtieġ nagħrfu l-poter li għandna biex nieħdu deċiżjonijiet li ma jagħmlux ħsara lill-ambjent. Il-protesta tal-lum ma kinitx okkażjoni ta’ darba, qed naħdmu kollettivament biex niġbdu l-
attenzjoni għan-nuqqas ta’ interess u strateġiji mill-Gvern biex jinvesti f’infrastruttura ta’ trasport aħjar. Dawn huma t-talbiet li qed nagħmlu biex inħeġġu bidla pożittiva:
- Servizz aħjar tal-linja u rotot iktar regolari u affidabbli.
- Appoġġ għal mezzi attivi tal-ivvjaġġar
- Toroq iktar siguri u investiment f’infrastruttura sostenibbli għal persuni bil-mixi u għaċ-ċiklisti.
Jekk jogħġobkhom, ibagħtu l-ittra mehmuża lill-Ministru għat-Trasport sabiex insemmgħu leħinna u nitolbu azzjoni. Ejjew naħdmu flimkien għax dan il-pajjiż huwa tal-poplu u għandna nħossuna siguri nużaw il-mezzi attivi ta’ trasport, mezzi li jieħdu ħsieb saħħitna u l-ambjent. Jekk xbajtu tistennew fit-traffiku, issofru l-arja mniġġsa u tibżgħu tirfsu fit-triq, ħudu azzjoni llum!