A green opportunity for Maltese freight transport

According to European Environment Agency, several EU Member States missed the 2010 limits to green-house emissions.

Transport is responsible for a large share of urban air pollution. Road freight vehicles in an urban environment usually emit a greater proportion of certain pollutants per kilometre than other motor vehicles such as cars and motorcycles, and their fuel consumption is higher per unit of distance travelled besides the fact that many of them use high-carbon intensive fuel.

This year the number of motor vehicles in Malta went up by 2.4 % compared to 2011 reaching a fleet of 313,027 units, of which 13% is represented by freight vehicles.

Moreover, the country currently has the fifth highest number of vehicles per capita in the world, with 743 motor vehicles per 1,000 people, causing major congestion problems at peak times, especially in the areas with the highest population and trade density such as Marsa, Birkirkara, Luqa and Qormi.

Malta, as many other EU countries, is facing major barriers to implement sustainable energy measures, aimed in particular at an efficient freight distribution and transport management. Even where there is a strong commitment to improve efficiency levels, cities often lack the needed information, supportive national level policies, access to financing, etc.

According to Dr Andrea Demadonna, Project Officer, Paragon Europe - Malta, "there is considerable consensus that improving the energy efficiency of passenger/goods transport is a key challenge in moving towards a more sustainable energy future. But meeting such a challenge requires an evidence-based approach".

The C-Liege Project (Clean Last Mile Transport and Logistics Management for Smart and Efficient Local Governments in Europe) has been developed with the aim to set criteria for assessing and improving the sustainability of transport policies promoting energy efficient and cleaner freight movements in urban areas, providing a novel set of integrated solutions and applying a mix of "push & pull" measures to city time slots/space allocation. The project is co-funded by the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme.

Demadonna added: "Malta is one of the seven EU pilot sites and the Maltese consortium's partner, Paragon Europe, is committed to get local authorities and other key stakeholders involved in the process to discuss and finally introduce and implement transport measures already deployed in other EU cities.

"This process started with the organisation of two Round Table meetings in Attard, where Paragon Europe invited the local councils of Tarxien, Marsa, Luqa, Birzebbuga and Safi, together with other relevant organizations (Traffic Police, the University of Malta) and private Businesses (Valletta Gateway Terminals, shippers and freight operators)."

Demadonna said that the discussions brought to the attention the major problems affecting the freight transport sector and their causes, such as high number of second hand freight vehicles, double space parking due to lack of unloading bays, no alternative delivery systems, absence of Freight Quality Partnerships, minimal usage of environmentally friendly vehicles and time restrictions in Custom offices in Malta, which run on government-based hours and run until 4pm in winter and 1pm in summer.

"A number of measures that could alleviate the traffic congestion in the urban areas were highlighted, such as fiscal incentives to vehicles' replacement, environmental zones, a heavy cargo ban during rush hours and night delivery.

"Some local councils present committed themselves to discussing these policies and creating a preferential path for their implementation," he said.

Paragon's project officer said that "Paragon Europe and its Maltese partners are convinced that such measures can support the Government's efforts in reducing and better managing freight transport issues within the Maltese urban centres".