Speaking at the Valletta Conference for Sustainable European Transport Systems Minister for Urban Development and Roads Jesmond Mugliett said the three interdependent projects are a new bus replacement programme, a wider public transport reform and an Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS), coupled up with an Automatic Vehicle Locator system (AVL).

ITMS makes use of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) to monitor the situation on Maltese road infrastructure while AVL provides public transport patrons with up-to-date information on waiting times or connections, whilst aiding with scheduling and management of both the bus rapid transit and regular scheduled services.

“We have proposed the projects for the AVL and ITMS as projects to be funded by the European Union (EU)”, said the Minister, adding that it is hoped that the call for tenders will be issued in the coming three months.

The salient aspects of the reform will comprise a new level service agreement defining better the roles of the Authority and the operators, better scheduling infrastructure and procedures and the bus replacement programme.

Other outstanding aspects of the reform include improvement of the current network, introducing technology to make public transport attractive and accountable as well as investing in public transport infrastructure.

Minister Mugliett added that while over one fourth of buses have been changed to super low floor Euro III engine buses, unrenewed buses will be replaced with new cleaner buses in the years to come.

In turn, Controlled Vehicular Access to Valletta, which is set to stimulate the high rotation of effective use of parking space in the historic centre of the City, will be launched later this month.

The scheme was initially meant to come into force in January; however it was set back until March. Subsequently the new launch date was also postponed, to enable the operator of the scheme to subject it to some changes.

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Valletta vehicle access scheme delayed again -  Mar 1, 2007 - 9:30:32 AM