Smooth sailing for school transport and commuters - stakeholders
Back to school
Stakeholders have stated that yesterday morning’s feared traffic congestion was an overall success in terms of consistent flow of traffic, in tandem with the implementation of the government’s new school transport scheme.
Following up on yesterday mornings’ on-site reporting from this newsroom, we got in contact with the involved stakeholders for their review of what went on in our streets.
Minibus Coopertive Chairman Manuel Falzon expressed positive remarks as, at the time of writing, he had not received any complaints from the minibus drives regarding the implementation of the state-funded transport scheme.
This newsroom also contacted the police who told us that members of the police who were out assisting with directing traffic noted that, in comparison to last year, ‘traffic improved considerably’.
Observing that the most congested areas were, Naxxar Road, San Gwann, l-Imghallaq area (Qormi) and Marsa Bypass – ‘this was due to road works that are currently taking place’ they explained.
According to these stakeholders tomorrow, the first day of school for state school students , the situation is ‘expected to be the same’, and they also suggest using public transport and car pooling to further ease the traffic flow.
Through their Traffic Control Centre, Transport Malta (TM) observed that in spite of the substantial increase in traffic, “a number of improvements implemented by Infrastructure Malta have left their mark as the waiting times at Marsa/Hamrun bypass, Triq Aldo Moro, the Gudja roundabout and in Qormi have decreased”.
As the police did, TM urged drivers to consider more sustainable means of transport, adding that although they may be longer, a number of routes are usually not as busy.
In a press conference held last Saturday, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo gave an update on the school transport situation, which was one of government’s implemented initiatives to help alleviate the traffic situation.
As at last Saturday, there were still 829 parents of non-state school children on the waiting list, with their children not yet assigned to free school transport.