United Against Illegal Traffic Pollution

The SMS system for reporting polluting buses and other vehicles has failed. The number of vehicles emitting dense black smoke has remained undiminished.

It is now accepted that soot emitted by such vehicles is very damaging to health. Extensive surveys and studies carried out over decades in both the USA and Europe have proved beyond doubt that inhalation of toxic soot (particulates) from polluting vehicles is very damaging to health. The evidence from these surveys has also been accepted by the World Health Organisation, leading Medical Associations and Health Authorities world-wide.
Exposure to such pollution results in decreased life-span due to early death from a number of causes including higher cancer rates and heart and lung disorders. In addition, this pollution results in poor lung development in growing children and serious aggravation of asthma.

This threat to our health should be a matter of grave public concern, especially for parents whose childrens health is being damaged through growing up in polluted environments.

Our government is failing in its duty by ignoring the threat to our health from the dangerous level of pollution in our streets caused by visibly polluting vehicles. These vehicles are contravening regulations 107 and 195 of Motor Vehicles Regulations 1994; yet no action is being taken against them by police or wardens.

I therefore appeal to the Police, Transport and Environment Authorities and Health Department to enforce the law against polluting vehicles:

By direct action of Police and Traffic Wardens against visibly polluting vehicles rather than depending any further on the public to submit reports

By carrying out inspections of such vehicles immediately so as not to give vehicle owners time to temporarily put things right before testing, only for them to revert to malpractice.

This immediate action should be followed in the medium and long term by further measures to cut down on traffic pollution and pursue our Air quality and Climate Change targets through Transport Reform, giving priority to better public transport, the introduction of non-polluting public transport vehicles, improved road planning, measures to make our streets safe and pedestrian/cycle friendly, public education on health and environmental issues, and the opening of blocked country footpaths.




Is-sistema S.M.S biex jigu rraportati karozzi tal-Linja u vetturi ohra falliet. In-numru ta vetturi li jdahhnu iswed u sfiq baqa ma naqasx.
Illum kulhadd sar jammetti li dan il-kwalita ta duhhan li johrog mill-vetturi hu ta hsara kbira ghas-sahha. Numru kbir ta ricerki u studji ohra li saru matul firxa ta snin, sew fl-Amerika ki ukoll fl-Ewropa wrew car, u minghajr l-icken dubbju, li dan id-duhhan u trabijiet tossici li johorgu minn certu karozzi huwa ta hsara kbira ghal sahhet il-bniedem. Ir-rizultati miksubin minn dawn l-istudji gew ukoll accettati mill-Organizazzjoni Dinjija tas-Sahha, Assocjazjonijiet Medici Ewlenin u Awtoritajiet tas-Sahha madwar id-dinja.

Li wiehed ikun espost ghal tniggis bhal dan jirrizulta, li n-nies tibda tghix anqas minhabba mwiet bikrija kkagunati minn diversi mard fosthom numru dejjem jikber ta mard bil-kancer kif ukoll minhabba kumplikazzjonijiet li jeffettwaw il-qalb u l-pulmun. Minbarra dan kollu, dan it-tniggis ifixkel l-izvilupp normali tal-pulmun fit-tfal u jaggrava l-incidenza tal-mard bl-azzma.

Din it-theddida ghal sahhitna ghandha tkun haga li tikkoncerna lill-pubbliku ingenerali u aktar u aktar lill-genituri, ghaliex sahhet uliedhom tkun qed tigi effettwata hazin minhabba li jkunu jikbru fambjent imniggez.
Il-Gvern tal-pajjiz qed jonqos minn dmiru ghaliex mhux jaghti widen ta din it-theddida fuq hajjitna li gejja permezz ta livell perikoluz ta tniggis fit-triqat taghna kagun ta vetturni li kulhadd jarahom idahhnu u niggzu. Dawn il-vetturi qeghdin jiksru regolament 107 u 195 tal-Motor Vehicle Reg. 1994, u madankollu mhi tittiehed ebda azzjoni kontrihom mill-pulizija jew mill-Gwardjani tat-Traffiku.

Ghaldaqstant nappella lill-Pulizija, lill-Awtoritajiet tat-Trasport u Ambjent u lid-Dipartiment tas-Sahha, sabiex jinfurzaw il-ligi kontra Vetturi li niggzu.

Permezz tazzjoni diretta mill-Pulizija u l-Gwardjani tat-Traffiku kontra Vetturi li jkunu jidhru jdahhnu minflok ma joqghodu jistennew aktar li l-pubbliku jirraporta hu.

Billi jaghmlu testijiet fil-pront ta vetturi bhal dawn minghajr ma jaghtu cans lis-sidien ta dawn il-vetturi li jirrangaw temporanjament sakemm imorru ghat-test u wara kollox jerga ghal li kien.

Din l-azzjoni mmedjata ghandha tkun segwita bohrajn li jahsbu fil-gejjieni qrib kif ukoll ghall-futur, billi jittiehdu azzjonijiet li jnaqqsu t-tniggis mit-traffiku u jghamlu l-almu kollu taghhom sabiex jintlahaq il-livell mixtieq dwar il-Kwalita ta Arja u t-Tibdil tal-Klima; u dan permezz ta Riformi fit-Trasport li jaghtu prijorita biex jitjieb t-Trasport Pubbliku billi jintroducu vetturi li ma jkunux iniggsu l-arja, jipreparaw ippjanar ahjar ghat- toroq, jiehdu mizuri biex jitnaqqas il-periklu mit-toroq taghna u jkunu ta sigurta akbar ghan-nies li juzawhom kif ukoll ghac-ciklisti, u biex in-nies tigi mghallma ahjar dwar dak li jikkoncerna s-Sahha u l-Ambjent, u wkoll billi jinfetah l-access ta moghdijiet fil-kampanja u ma jibqghux maghluqin.