A powerful tool is launched

The GIS Platform was launched during a two day conference hosted by Transport Malta.

What is the GIS Platform?

GIS stands for Geographical Information Systems. In layman terms it is basically information related to geographical locations.  Google Maps can be considered one such GIS.  It contains data about roads, points of interest, routes and much more.

Now the GIS Platform that was launched is a bit like Google Maps but it has technical data that can be used by entities like Transport Malta to streamline and greatly improve the decision making process.

What does this really mean?

Road Building and Management.

One application for this tool will be road management with all its various branches. Transport Malta will input within the database which roads have been recently resurfaced.  They can then monitor when the next resurfacing is due.  This is not merely restricted to tarmac but also to road signs, pavements and other assets.

Traffic Management.

Another example is traffic management.  What amount of traffic can the roads take?  Which roads are the taxis using?  Where are the cargo trucks passing through?

Road Works.

What about road works and road closures?  This system will eventually help all parties involved know exactly what, where and when anything is happening.

Public Platform.

What is more, the public will also have access to lot of the data provided by this platform.  The public can check where the bus stops are, numerous points of interest and data about ferry services to start with.

This tool has been launched and lots of data has already been inputted. Transport Malta is now embarking on a process to help maximise the use of this tool across all Transport Malta directorates.

National Flood Relief Project Works Continue

Triq Naxxar Birkirkara

 In connection with the National Flood Relief Project, Transport Malta notifies that as from Friday 27^th February 2015, works will continue along Triq in-Naxxar Birkirkara and should take approximately 2 months. Triq in-Naxxar will be closed in phases, according to work exigencies. Public Transport will be diverted through Triq Ganu and through Triq il-Wied Hal Balzan, depending on the phase in hand.

Phase 01

Phase 02

 

Transport Malta will be issuing updates and more information about traffic diversions and road closures during the course of implementation.

The National Flood Relief Project is tackling  problems of flooding in three of Malta’s rain water catchments and directly effecting a total of twelve different localities namely Attard, Lija, Balzan, B’Kara, Iklin, Msida, Marsa, Qormi, Zebbug, Gzira, Zabbar and Marsascala. 

Motorists are advised to proceed with caution and to follow signage on site

Streets Project

Launch of the GIS Platform

Transport Malta is organising the Launch Event of the GIS Platform.

The event will be held on the  26th and 27th February 2015 at Radisson Golden Sands Għajn Tuffieħa, Malta.

The GIS platform

The Web GIS platform-In an institutional strategic view, the development and testing of the GIS platform allows the partnership to identify problems and opportunities of the transportation and the system on which it operates, through the database from the joint mapping, to later proceed with their representation in a geo-referenced mapping system easy to use and to consult by the different stakeholders. This platform aims at simplifying the planning, monitoring and management of actions in the field of transportation. In this way the PA have the opportunity to base their planning and intervention activities in a transversal way, on a rich informative heritage.

The Project

http://www.streetsproject.eu/

The preparation of an Italy-Malta Integrated Strategy for Sustainable Transport will allow the identification of the main multimodal guidelines in order to intervene in the short, medium and long term, according to an idea of operational integration whose goal is to minimise the overall cost of transportation, to reduce times, to multiply and diversify the offer and, finally, to monitor the environmental impact. In line with European policies in the field of transports, this strategy defines the framework aimed to overcome the bottlenecks concerning connections between the two islands, as well as mobility (of people and goods) within them. At a broader local level, beyond the cross-border coverage of the Operational Programme, we can notice a significant impact with respect to the facilitation of free movement of people and goods to support corridor 5 (according to EU statistics).

At the implementation level, the current conditions and measures to increase the accessibility and attractiveness will be identified, taking into account the aspects concerning the improvement of transport safety, environmental impact and the specific needs of vulnerable users. These aspects converge in the output of the Joint Strategy; this output consists of a programmatic document for the two islands, that includes the achievement of joint objectives on two levels: the logistics-infrastructural level (in terms of infrastructures, facilities, connections) and the governance level (activities of planning, coordination and management/control) of the transport system as a whole. As it can be deduced later, the socio-economic impact of this harmonisation process is particularly important because the transversal objective concerns the cohesion of the territory of the two islands, therefore the accessibility of peripheral and island regions of the European Union.

Archaeological Discoveries in the Salina Bay Area

 

Following the archaeological discoveries in the Salina Bay, along the Coast Road project site, Transport Malta (TM) has been and still is in constant liaison with the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH) so that proper archaeological investigations are carried out on site. A complete list of discoveries that have been en-earthed through the excavation phases for the widening and reconstruction of the road has already been documented.

Works on the project are therefore progressing in a more cautious manner to take into consideration these features and artefacts. It is envisaged that some structural changes will be required in the road foundation layers so as to preserve such features. Transport Malta is currently working on a modified option for the Coast Road in the Salina stretch to incorporate and preserve these archaeological findings, within the foundation layers below the road build-up.

 

Due to these important findings the project timelines are being re-evaluated with the possibility of them having to be extended to beyond the summer.

Transport Malta is will continue to work with the contractor and supervisors so that the works programme is analysed in detail and revised as necessary so that all these findings which are affecting the project can be incorporated in it with the least disturbance possible to the project.

Current works along the salt pans stretch and the Salina are being considered as the most archaeologically-sensitive area of the project at the moment.

506 vehicles benefit from the Scrappage Scheme

The grant scheme on the Purchase of New Environment-Friendly Vehicles proved to be a huge success.

The scrappage scheme, as announced in the 2015 Budget, has been taken up completely in the first two months. A total of 506 vehicles benefitted from the €400,000 grant allocated by the Government for this scheme. The successful initiative was planned to encourage people to dispose of their old vehicles and to invest in new cars with lower emissions.

Vehicle owners who applied for the scheme were entitled to a payment of between €700 and €900 upon the purchase of a new M1 motor vehicle (used for the carriage of persons and which may carry no more than eight passengers in addition to the driver, the CO2 emissions of which do not exceed 130g/km and its length does not exceed 4460mm, and is licensed for private use only) that qualifies for the grant scheme whilst at the same time de-registering a vehicle in the same category.

Transport Malta informs the general public that the scheme in the form of a grant to incentivise the purchase of Battery Electric Vehicles and Battery Electric Quadricycles which was announced last week is still applicable.

Own a Drone or thinking of owning one?

Public Consultation on the Usage of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) in Malta

Transport Malta in collaboration with the Ministry for Transport and Infrastructure and the Ministry for Tourism will be holding a public consultation meeting to discuss the usage and regulation of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) in Malta, commonly known as civil drones.

The meeting will we held on the 28th February 2015 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta starting at 10:00 am. Registrations from 09:30am. The consultation will give interested parties the opportunity to discuss and comment on the initiative to regulate through the publishing of a legal notice the use of RPAS within Maltese airspace.

A copy of the draft legal notice can be downloaded from this link.

Stakeholders and the general public can send their feedback, comments and suggestions via email.

RPAS Consultation PDF

Works on sewer networks in Triq il-Wileġ, Buġibba

The works at Triq il-Wileġ junction with Kennedy Drive, have entered into a stage where the sewer main in Triq il-Wileġ needs to be connected to the new sewer already laid in trenches which formed part of the new network along Kennedy Drive, as part of the Coast Road project.

Part of Triq il-Wileġ will need to be closed for traffic flows coming from Qawra towards Triq il-Korp tal-Pijunieri.  Thus, Triq il-Wileġ will be temporarily turned into a one-way road.  Traffic from Qawra will therefore need to be diverted through Triq J.F. Kennedy in order to reach Kennedy Drive and Ta’ Erba’ Mwiezeb roundabout.

Traffic flows from Ta’ Erba’ Mwiezeb roundabout to Triq il-Wileġ and/or to Triq il-Korp tal-Pijunieri will not be affected by these works.

Preparations are underway for this diversion to take place on site and it is planned that this traffic flows will be affected as from the week starting 23^rd February 2015.

Motorists are advised to proceed with caution and to follow diversion signs installed along these roads.

Traffic Disruptions this weekend

Traffic Alert – Lija

21 February 2015

Transport Malta notifies that emergency works will be carried out in Triq il-Wied Lija on Saturday 21^st February 2015 between 06:00hrs and 15:00hrs.

No road closures will take place.  Motorists are advised to proceed with caution.

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Temporary Road Closure – Qormi

21 February 2015

Transport Malta notifies that due to construction works, part of Triq San Edwardu in Qormi, between Triq Antonio Fenech and Triq Zinzel, will be closed to vehicular traffic on Saturday 21^st February 2015 between 13:00hrs and 15:00hrs.

Vehicles coming from Triq l-Imdina, Triq Zinzel and Triq il-Vitorja will be diverted onto Triq il-Ġdida.

Public Transport:

Route buses 61 and 209 proceeding from Marsa Park & Ride towards Żebbug, will be diverted at the roundabout of Tal-Imgħallaq onto Triq l-Imdina and follow the normal route to Żebbug.

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Malta Marathon Race 2015

22 February 2015

Transport Malta notifies that the following traffic management will take place during the Malta Marathon Race 2015 which will be held on Sunday 22^nd February 2015:

Mdina and Saqqajja Rabat – access will be restricted between 07:00hrs and 10:00hrs

Rabat – Triq Għeriexem will be closed to vehicular traffic between 09:00hrs and 09:45hrs

Mtarfa By Pass will closed to vehicular traffic between 08:00hrs and 10:00hrs

Ta’ Qali – access only from near the Military Cemetery between 08:00hrs and 09:30hrs

Attard – Triq l-Imdina, from Saqqajja roundabout to Mriehel By Pass direction towards Valletta, will be closed to traffic between 08:30hrs and 11:00hrs

Attard – Triq il-Linja willl not be closed to traffic but there will be no access from Triq l-Imdina

Attard – Triq il-Pitkali will not be closed to traffic but there will be no access from Triq Durumblat and Ta’ Qali

Birkirkara/Mrieħel – Triq L-Imdina, from Mrieħel By Pass to the roundabout of Fleur De Lys, will be closed to traffic between 09:15hrs and 10:30hrs

Mrieħel By Pass, direction to Valletta – there will be no access from Triq L-Imdina or Mrieħel Industrial Estate between 09:30hrs and 12:00hrs

Hamrun/Marsa By Pass, direction to Paola, will be closed to traffic and there will be no access from the tunnels of Santa Venera

Marsa – Triq Diċembru 13, direction to Valletta, will be closed to traffic from the slip way to Hamrun/Marsa By Pass between 09:50hrs and 12:15hrs

Floriana, Triq Nazzjonali – there will be no access from Hamrun between 09:50hrs and 12:30hrs

Pieta’/Msida/Ta’ Xbiex/Sliema – access from the side roads to Triq ix-Xatt will be limited. Only one lane will be available to vehicular traffic proceeding towards Valletta since participants will be running in the inner lane between 10:00hrs and 13:30hrs

Sliema – The Strand will be closed to traffic between 10:00hrs and 13:30hrs

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Road closure – Rabat

23 February 2015

Transport Malta notifies that due to the laying of water and drainage main and the re construction of the road, Triq Vjal il-Haddiem Rabat will be closed to vehicular traffic as from Monday 23^rd February 2015 until the end of June 2015.

During phase one, road will be closed from Triq Misraħ is-Suffara to Triq Nigret.

Vehicular traffic and public transport bus route 52 proceeding from  Dingli to Rabat, will be diverted onto Għar Barka, one way down towards Bużugrilla and Mtarfa roundabout.

Vehicular traffic and public transport bus route 52 proceeding from  Rabat to Dingli will be diverted onto Triq il-Fejġel, Triq Hobbejża, Triq Mons. G. Depiro and onto Triq Ħal-Bajjada.

Vehicular traffic proceeding from Triq l-Imdina to Dingli and vice versa are to proceed through Ġorġ Borġ Olivier Rabat.

Motorists are advised to proceed with caution. Any inconvenience is regretted.

New Traffic Arrangements for Coast Road

Coast Road – South Bound Traffic

Transport Malta notifies that south bound traffic, from Telgħa tal- Madliena to Triq Suffold, will be diverted through the entrance of White Rocks onto Triq Adrian Dingli, as from Thursday 19^th February 2015, because of the construction of the Coast Road.

Triq Martin Luther King will only be accessible from the diversion road at the White Rocks, due to works in progress.

Motorists are advised to proceed with caution. Any inconvenience is regretted.

Grant Scheme to purchase Electric Vehicles Extended

Government extends the current Grant Scheme on the Purchase of Electric Vehicles to include registered NGOs and Private Companies

Transport Malta, in conjunction with the Ministry for Transport and Infrastructure, is extending the current scheme in the form of a grant to incentivise the purchase of Battery Electric Vehicles and Battery Electric Quadricycles

This scheme is aimed at reducing the number of old motor vehicles from the road while promoting the use of clean and energy efficient vehicles as a way to contribute towards the  reduction of traffic generated pollution and   improvement of  air quality levels.

Subject to various conditions, the grant is divided in three combinations and besides applicable to private persons it has now been extended to registered NGOs and the business community as indicated in the scheme itself.

A grant of €4,000 will be given to persons registering an electric car and €1,500 to those registering an electric quadricyle. The grant shall increase from €4,000 to €5,000 in cases of persons registering a Battery Electric Vehicle while at the same time opting to de-register another internal combustion engine propelled vehicle which is at least 10 years old from the year of its manufacture.

The scheme is also open to both new and second hand Battery Electric Vehicles which should not exceed 12,000 km on the odometer and would not be more than 24 months old.

Applications will be handled on a first come first served basis.

This is another initiative of the Ministry for Transport and Infrastructure and Transport Malta as part of Government policy to promote the use of clean and energy efficient vehicles.

Over the last few years Government had published its policy to promote the introduction of    electromobility in Malta with the publication of the Malta National Electromobility Action Plan (MNEAP) and the set up of the Malta National Electromobility Platform (MNEP).

Besides the promotion for the use of electric vehicles in Malta and facilitation of market entry and penetration of the latest technologies being introduced on the European and International markets, the Government has also embarked on a phased approach to install the necessary infrastructure to compliment the use of these vehicles. Malta also have a European Target to install at least 500 electric vehicle charging points nationwide by 2020 as well as to have at least 5,000 electric vehicles registered on Maltese Roads by the same year.

With respect to the deployment of public electric vehicle charging points,  Government has a adopted a phased approach such as to make sure that this deployment is carried out in a manner to benefit from the continuous developments taking place in the field of electric car charging infrastructure as well as the  developments of the vehicles themselves.

It is the intention of the Government that for the short to medium term, the electric car charging infrastructure would be a mix of both medium and fast charging units so that electric car charging is carried out in the least possible time for the convenience of the electric vehicle owners, especially those who do not have access to a car garage.

Besides promoting sustainable and clean mobility, the scope of these initiatives is to assist the government in addressing Malta’s National environmental targets, which range from climate change and energy targets as well as the improvement of Air Quality Levels. At this point the public is also being reminded that besides this grant another grant for the conversion to LPG is still open.

It is the intention of the Government to continue with its drive to promote sustainable mobility with a number of measures that will be introduced in the near future such as the granting of access for electric vehicles to use the bus-lane infrastructure being introduced on various road sections of the National Road Network, The public is also reminded that the annual vehicle license for electric vehicles is just €10 year.

Applications for these schemes are available from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Unit, Hornsworks Ditch, Floriana or downloaded from the Authority’s website: http://www.transport.gov.mt/land-transport/electric-cars

Notes:

The Notice relating to this scheme will be published in today’s Government Gazzette, Tuesday 17^th February 2015.