Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA) is concerned about the consequences with regards to the poor performance of the Malta Transport Authority (ADT) in respect of Malta’s street pollution, as seen in the most recent example where text messages sent in by citizens, at their own expense to report smoke emitting vehicles, were ignored. The serious consequence is that this has betrayed the trust people had in this and similar systems and that motivation to send such reports has been severely undermined. Apologies are not enough to limit the damage arising out of this mistake.
Had this incident not yet been revealed, it still would have been clear that ADT is not giving enough importance to the serious health implications of the avoidable pollution in our streets. The fact that smoke emitted by diesel-driven vehicles is highly toxic is now common knowledge. It has now been scientifically proven beyond doubt that exposure to traffic pollution, especially the fine particulate fraction in diesel exhaust, is responsible for premature death from a number of causes including heart attacks, cancer and lung diseases. Malta has one of the highest ever recorded rates of asthma and this is almost certainly due to our pollution. Recent evidence has strengthened the case against ‘particulates’ which are a major component of pollution from diesel engines. ADT has much to answer for, as long as the unacceptable threat to heath is allowed to continue. ADT must now take assertive steps to remedy the situation by decreasing our pollution more effectively.
ADT claims that emission testing was still being conducted on all vehicles “including public transport buses, coaches, trucks and other heavy vehicles”. If this is so, the results are as yet lacking, and the situation has not improved at all. In fact the emission of black smoke by our buses seems to have intensified of late. This is strongly indicative that there is something seriously wrong in the reporting system, or, more likely, that emission testing is being conducted incorrectly, or being rendered useless by vehicle owners who tamper with their engines or adulterate their fuel and then simply put things temporarily right when the vehicle is due for testing.
Finally, FAA finds it difficult to comprehend how police and traffic wardens – whose duty is to enforce the law – maintain that it is not their duty to take any corrective action against vehicles which are blatantly polluting the air in front of supposedly vigilant eyes. It is clear that, even with the cooperation of the public through the SMS reporting system that ADT had in place, the system was not coping with the lawlessness on our roads. Furthermore it is wrong to ask the public to act as policemen and unacceptable that the public transport sector buses simply ignores the law with impunity in front of everybody – including the police and traffic wardens.
FAA insists that the time has come to empower traffic wardens and police to enforce the law in respect of polluting vehicles. Vehicles emitting visible smoke should either be taken off the road or sent for an immediate inspection without allowing any chance to readjust their engine and replace adulterated fuel with diesel fuel. Considering the serious health implications FAA also strongly feels it would be highly appropriate if the Health Department takes on an active role in reducing traffic induced pollution on our streets.
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