VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta’s newly launched National Transport Master Plan 2030 makes no mention of the much-touted metro system, instead reopening debate on a bus rapid transit (BRT) network as a possible mass-transit solution.
Unveiled for public consultation on November 10, the document is intended to guide the country’s road, sea and air transport strategy over the coming years. But despite repeated government references to ongoing metro studies by international consultancy Arup, the project is entirely absent from the plan.
Instead, authorities pledge to “assess the feasibility of a mass rapid transit system,” listing BRT as one of the options under consideration. Such systems rely on dedicated bus lanes to deliver faster, more reliable journeys.
Malta previously explored BRT nearly two decades ago, when a 2007 study by the UK’s Halcrow Group concluded the system had “great scope” for improving mobility. The idea was later shelved, though it resurfaced in political proposals including the Natioanlist Party’s 2022 trackless tram concept and comments by Transport Minister Chris Bonett last year.
The omission of the metro comes as congestion continues to mount. The master plan estimates that traffic cost Malta €400 million—3.6% of GDP—in 2022, a figure projected to soar to €1.28 billion annually by 2050 without decisive intervention.
Government had pledged to unveil a new mass-transit solution by year’s end, with recent discussions centred on scaled-back metro proposals ranging from €2.8 to €6.2 billion. But Finance Minister Clyde Caruana has cautioned that choosing the wrong system could “royally screw” the country given the costs involved.
– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
