As elected members of the Local Councils, the Mayor and the councillors have one common goal to offer the best possible service to their residents in order to make a difference in their quality of life.

As we all know, local councils within our country do not have the autonomy of other councils in European countries. Most of the time, Local Councils would depend on the Central Government’s agencies and entities who need to work in synergies and clearly understand their different roles, responsibilities and deliverables.

Whilst most of the entities and agencies are managed by contract workers of their respective agencies, the political section of the Local Councils mainly depends on the residents’ votes to be elected.  Undoubtedly, a sheer laid back attitude from the elected Mayor would result in residents’ lack of trust for forthcoming elections.

If one had to take a snapshot of the current situation one must acknowledge that there is room for improved cooperation between the two, most of all on the communication aspect being at the top of their agenda.

The lack of communication, like in any relationship between two human beings would result in dispute, lack of respect and sheer cold silence which would eventually lead to the separation of their relationship.

The same goes with the current argument we are dealing with; apart from a high degree of communication, the latter needs to be constant, rapid and transparent.  This enhances the level of trust between both parties who commonly bear the same believes, that of assisting their residents in the best possible manner.

An important and efficient way to deal with residents’ requests and complaints is that instead of having a generic email address, issues should ideally be addressed by individuals who would actually be in a position to assist their residents.  This could be done as long as there would be no designated personnel to handle this process.

Back in 2019, prior to the Local Council election there was the launch of a particular initiative where a number of officials from various agencies and entities were assigned to a particular Local Council.  These officials were to be identified as the decision taking key individuals within their own organisation who own a good know how about the Local Council’s daily operation. This initiative would ensure acceptable response time coupled with appropriate exchange of information; additionally, this gives the added benefit of having key contact people with whom to liaise with when pressing issues need to be resolved.

It is crucially important that there needs to be enhanced cooperation and coordination between these entities, agencies and Local Councils so that areas which are still unowned and unhandled are eventually tackled and addressed.

Industrial zones and housing estates parameters, security during children’s schools opening and closing times, local tribunals and enforcement, water and electricity repairs, road contractors, work permits, land’s authority and others are just some matters one could easily identify.

The same level of cooperation has to be also extended to a number of organisations with pressing issues and which represent certain sectors like the business chamber, the construction industry, private road and telecommunication contractors.

This should be doable if we all understand that when there are common working grounds we would be facilitating our way of life and those of our residents.  Shifting of responsibilities from whoever side it comes only increases the residents’ frustration and cascades the perception that both the Local Councils and entities are useless.

No one will ever effect this change on our behalf If there is not going to be this collective collaboration to change this perception (which at times is not).  Undoubtedly like all mayors would wish the best for their respective localities, likewise, the top brass of the various entities would wish the best for their entities too.

For this to be operationalised we need each other’s support; the longer we take to digest and implement the longer we would keep being the problem instead of the solution everybody seeks to have

Mario Fava
President

Particularly during the last years, the use of electric scooters has considerably increased in the main European cities, undoubtedly with the aim and benefit of reducing air pollution, reduce traffic congestion and replace the use of private vehicles for short distances.

Despite of all the benefits, the introduction of electric scooters has also created various challenges in a number of cities where they operate. We have seen a number of operators who have introduced this new method of transport without prior consultation with the local authorities or the regulatory officials in terms of security.  This situation has created disagreement on the usage of public spaces, road security and traffic management.

The number of e scooters which have been introduced in various cities is dependent on the number of operators using the service.  If we had to give a random look to various European cities, we would find that a number of the e scooters vary from a couple of hundreds to thousands.  Hereunder are some examples.

Fleet size vs public spaces

As one could notice, there is a noticeable difference between one city and another.  The influx of these e scooters has come to a point where certain cities had to act and introduce an operational regulatory framework and Malta is no exception.  The infrastructure, the actual use of e scooters and the citizens’ attitude towards them are the key factors which make e scooters’ usage and regulatory enforcement somehow different from one city to the other.

The city of Budapest could be taken as an example of how diligently the e scooter process was introduced; the city adopted an initial scheme of 200 e scooters in a prominent zone in order to have first-hand information and data before actually legislating the regulatory process. This, has actually given them the chance to process in a factual way all the data gathered during this eight-week trial.  This trial period has put at the forefront the need for a mitigation process on issues related to public spaces, where these scooters could be used or not.  This led to structured discussions with the operator which alternatively led the public to seamlessly embrace this alternative way of transport.

During a study carried out during the last two years resulted that 16 out 19 cities which were under research identified common issues to Malta related to e scooters, namely:

• the attitude of electric scooters’ users
• parking spaces and the way e scooters are carelessly abandoned after use
• driving speed

Certain cities had to introduce different measures for various zones including historical heritage sites, public parks and other touristic sites; this was intended to segregate other means of transport including those going on foot.  Besides, these measures also safeguarded historical sites and touristic zones from unpleasant situations where electric scooters are carelessly and haphazardly left along the way. Consequently, some cities have set up designated areas from where those using the e scooters could commence and eventually end their trip without leaving their scooter out and about on pavements or public gardens.  These regulatory measures also cater for tother challenges which so far have not been mentioned namely,

• The use of e scooters on pavements
• Lack of proper framework which addresses the same challenges
• Wreck less driving
• Damage to parked vehicles
• Electric scooters’ drunken users
• Multiple people riding same e scooter
• Lack of suitable insurance cover
• Abandoned e scooters (in puddles and rivers)

Scooting zones

It is somehow crucial that whenever possible there should be a segregation of the various means of available transport methods.  It does not make sense that e scooters are operated in pedestrian zones, foot paths or pavements; this takes on board the issue of speed when it comes to these scooters. A pedestrian walking at a speed of four kilometres per hour iwould be severely injured if he gets hit by a scooter with a speed of between 16 to 20 kilometres an hour.  This all depends on the individual’s stature because of a senior citizen is hit with that velocity he would surely end up dead since his body would not endure such impact.

Certain cities are turning to technology to try to reduce accidents and injuries among riders and pedestrians with the use of inbuilt e scooters sensors, the latter detecting impact and automatically reducing speed. In case of the lack of human intervention during the scooter’s operation the sensor would automatically stop the e scooter. This also applies to heavily pedestrianised areas, city squares and streets with heavy traffic flows.

Sanctions from certain sites or parks happen through geographical restrictions; this means that when a scooter reaches the designated zone it would automatically trigger the GPS and the latter would stop the scooter from entering that particular zone. This technical intervention does not require human resources to ensure its enforcement. As this cost onus is burdened by the operator the city would not incur extra expenses related to the deployment of human resources needed for this enforcement to take place.

Continuous dialogue

However, when putting aside the disadvantages, one could easily outline from a financial perspective a series of environmental benefits from this sustainable transport service. Those cities who reaped the maximum benefit of this alternative means of transport are those who managed to pool all the stakeholders for this initiative to successfully be implemented. This was done through continuous meetings amongst all those involved and the exchange of gathered data. This mechanism has brought together on the table a number of factors namely: public debates, operators who recognize their own responsibilities, the establishment of the maximum numbers of scooters per identified zone, the adoption of an open-minded approach and the ability for the modification of old habits along with total coordination with those involved.

Should a city ensure an efficient, safe and inclusive service it must take into consideration the number of required scooters needed to cater for that particular place. This planning is of utmost importance to the operators themselves since the granting of licences to a larger number of operators would be unhealthy to that same city if the latter could be well maintained with a reduced number of operators.

Therefore, it is crucial that the right mechanism should be in place to ensure:

• What should be the maximum number of scooters and the capacity of each operator
• The cost and validity period of each e scooter licence
• Type of needed insurance cover
• Proper structuring of people’s complaints
• Operators’ obligations towards stipulated timeframes for complaints’ replies
• A round the clock point of contact for any assistance needed by the Municipality or the respective locality council
• A penalty structure mechanism in place which incorporates an implementation and fee collection process

The social impact

From a social perspective, this industry which is somehow ever growing needs to have a recruitment framework.  These operators would need to employ a number of back office and on the ground employees to assist in the handling of these scooters along with the necessary repairs from time to time. Hence, there needs to be a regulatory framework in place to ensure that these employees won’t be legally abused. What comes to mind are the employees within the food delivery sector who definitely do not have the best of employment conditions; one has to ensure that no sector would ever adopt such practices.

Such monitoring is carried out by various cities and its findings are usually discussed in various meetings which are regularly held between the stakeholders and the operators themselves.

The environmental impact

E scooters usage definitely carries out as a direct or indirect environmental impact which could be significant without the correct measures.   Studies which have been caried out highlight the direct impact these could have on the environment through their regular usage, rental life span, the process and practices of how these e scooters are handled by the operator and the production material used and their weight.

Further studies which have been carried out show the impact e scooter rentals had on others methods of transport. One clear example is Brussels where e scooters replaced 26% of private vehicles, 29.2%of public transport trips and 40% of bicycle and pedestrian journeys.

By swapping the use of private vehicles and public transport usage to e scooter usage, the latter also removed the health benefits that come from walking or cycling these journeys.

Hence, certain cities are encouraging e scooter operators to focus on the impact reduction these scooters could have in these central areas. This is achieved by the operators themselves considering the purchase of scooters with a longer operative lifespan, invest in proper vehicles which handle e scooter collection and distribution in these zones and ensure that their fleet is made up of e scooters made of recyclable material while ensuring that the scooters are equipped with higher capacity and long-lasting batteries which require minimal charging time and have zero emissions.  All of these factors would place the operator in an advantageous position to incur a preferential licence fee since he would be positively contributing towards the environment.

Street security

According to researched data, e scooters pose higher risks to street security with accident rate for e scooters being nearly seven times higher than bicycles; this situation poses a higher administrative burden on the administration team of the Local Councils.

Many cities have very clear established safeguards and guidelines for whoever wants to operate this kind of transportation.  These should factor in reduced impact on traffic accidents, the prohibition of drink riding, smoking, and eating as all of these collectively allow the passenger to be fully focused.

In this contest, during a study which was carried out in the capital city of Denmark showed how 36% of those involved in accidents were under the influence of either alcohol or drugs with one third of the incidents happening between 11o’clock at night and 7 in the morning.  This factor could lead to the suspension of service in certain zones and between certain periods.

One is good to know that the results of this study showed that nearly 9% of those involved in these incidents were pedestrians, three quarters of which were vulnerable members aged from new born to 14 years, sixty-year-old citizens and older.  A collection of similar data could help the adoption of certain measures for

• Educational campaigns carried out for specific age groups
• Minimum age for driving scooters depending on zones and time being driven
• Limitation of one person per scooter
• Obligatory use of helmets
• Calls for e scooter riders to be banned from using their mobile phones while driving
• Access rates to be analysed based on distance rather than time

All of this clearly shows the importance of a constant dialogue between all stakeholders for such measures to be equally supported by all parties and be implemented in the fastest and most efficient manner.

Infrastructure

Undoubtedly, the most important factor in all this remains the infrastructure.  After the pandemic crisis the want for more open public spaces and pedestrian zones has increased.  For a couple of months during the pandemic we have witnessed public squares and streets completely empty from vehicles where everyone had the chance to enjoy whatever previously could not be much appreciated.

From an infrastructure perspective we have to keep in mind that these e scooters have different characteristics from those related to vehicles.  Electric scooters with small wheels are less comfortable to ride since smaller wheels tend to dip into potholes and unlevelled road surfaces, thus the impact is much stronger than a vehicle.

On the other hand their use on pavements is quite chaotic.  Hence it is crucial that an adequate infrastructure for this relatively new means of transport which does not only see the need for the proper segregation of routes but also a smoother surface and more e scooter usage friendly systems. It is thus of utmost importance that e scooters would be equipped with a good GPS system so that when the approach pedestrian areas they would automatically reduce speed.

Parking spaces for e scooters is another crucial aspect of the infrastructure. Like many other countries it is imperative that every so often one would find allocated spaces where these e scooters would be parked and charged in an organised manner; contrary to this we experience scattered e scooters haphazardly left around.

Universal docking and charging stations which would function and cater for all major electric scooters are of primary importance as these would create aesthetic soreness while they unnecessarily occupy public land.

What our country is going through

Way back in 2018 we have started experiencing an increase in this mode of transport which kept on increasing in 2019; during September of the same year the Transport Authority has called for a consultation process to better regulate the usage of electric scooters.

We have always believed and documented that despite the usage of the electric scooters requires less effort than driving a bike and make use of public transport, their usage will somehow has an impact on other residents.  It would impact the residents’ quality of life when it comes to the use of public and open spaces and when one considers the access to open spaces for persons with special needs.

We believed and anticipated that electric scooters usage will continue to destroy the few remaining open spaces and walking zones within our villages. Since their usage was not allowed in tunnels and main roads has thus purely left their usage in local areas. That is the reason why we insisted on deeper discussions with the Association of Local Councils and the Local Councils themselves to ensure that was written earlier and what was happening beyond our shores could likewise be applied to our country.

The infrastructure investment which occurred in Malta and which was long overdue was mainly concentrated on the use of vehicles; this has increased the need to work more on alternative transport methods with a longer vision.  Consequently, that is why the use of electric scooters on pavements should never be the subject for discussion.  Walking should remain the most sustainable way of transportation and should we keep on taking over the little available spaces left it would leave us no further walking space; indirectly we would be encouraging our residents to keep on making use of their private vehicles.

The dedicated use of segregated parking spaces for bikes and scooters is the most efficient manner on how this alternative transport method is utilized.

One has to differentiate between the private and commercial use of these electric scooters

One might ask:

• Should an individual making private use of electric scooters pay the same licence fee similar to companies occupying public space? Private e scooters users would usually store their electric scooter either at home or at their place of work upon arriving at their respective destination and thus occupy no public space; hence shouldn’t these private users be incentivized for not creating an inconvenience? Whereas private users would be storing their scooter in their own property commercial operators would be using limited public spaces.
• If electric scooters usage is designated to local streets and areas, shouldn’t Local Councils be the owners of these licences who would then decide on the quantity of issued licences pertaining to and in line with the rules and regulations of their respective locality.
• Should there be an accessible data base for these electric scooters with information related to where they are being mostly used and their frequency?
• Should the Local Council have the necessary authority to retrieve the licence of any operator if the latter would not abide by its obligations?
• Should there be a screening process prior to the operative licence renewal of how coherent was the operator in line with its obligations, what accidents were caused and what was customers’ overall behaviour (thus why it is necessary that the operator should have the authority to charge his customers on negligence)
• Should the operating licence fluctuate in line with the expense needed for better enforcement?
• Should there be a revision of the age limit for electric scooter usage?

These and other questions are to be the basis for discussion following the three-year period following the introduction of the National policy.  Following lessons learnt, the time has come for a more mature and open discussion.  We would now be in a position to update and improve our framework in this sector while minimizing the challenges.

An improved and structured regulatory framework would be beneficial not just for the residents but most of all to the environment, traffic management and the operators themselves.

Mario Fava
President

When we think to get rid of the various objects or materials that we no longer need, it is very important that these are intelligently separated.  Many are those who still can’t understand the importance of the concept of this process and ask ‘Why do we need to separate our wastes’?

The reply is quite simple; the waste that is generated and not wisely separated ends up in our landfills which our country no longer has space for.  This is something that we have to take care of as long as we don’t want to end up with the remaining agricultural land that we have be taken up to store tons of waste which could easily be used as a resource. One must also mention the fact how tons of untreated waste in our landfills would, during the decomposition process release toxic gases over the years.  These gases are by far more dangerous than those emitted from our vehicles. One must understand that this is a main cause of climate change, the effect of which we are presently experiencing.

If we are to properly understand which waste could be recycled and thus increase the recycling process according to the product waste- stream, we would ensure that our generation and that of our children would have the possibility to live a decent life on this planet on which our existence is somehow very limited. Many would argue ‘What difference would I make if I recycle my own little bit?’ If we all decide to reason in this manner then nobody would make an effort to increase the dose of the present recycling quantity.

It seems that Maltese citizens obey the law because otherwise they be punished.  Yes, there are a number of responsible individuals who would ensure that the waste generated by his own household would be properly recycled.  However, this recycling practice is still being carried out sporadically; this is mainly due to the fact that our country has not actually enforced waste separation.  Civil behaviour is practiced by the few.

If and when everybody makes an effort to instead of putting everything in one bag we start wisely separating plastic, paper, metal and other mixed waste, we would start seeing the effect of our efforts much faster.

Commenting upon the latest rumours that when the government would stop the schemes of giving away free of charge the green and grey bags, some will opt to stop recycling, I would say that this is sheer nonsense and a massive irresponsibility.

Whatever colour of the garbage bag we use, we normally consume one bag per day for our waste needs thus bringing the weekly consumption of bags per family up to six bags per family. Since we normally consume one bag per day, it does not actually make a difference whether we need to pay for our bags or whether they come free of charge. If the black bags come in a pack of twenty pieces, then this would last 4 weeks instead of 3 since on the other days we would be using different bags for different waste.

The Government has to intervene to ensure that our country acts more responsibly by enforcing a mandatory approach where each resident has to separate waste. This constitutes a long educational campaign followed by a strong framework, ample human resources within the Local Councils and full enforcement which gives waste separation total priority.  Competent authorities should avoid working in isolation and must pool in competent resources to ensure effective enforcement; this should be carried out hand in hand with the Local Councils who must ensure that they have ample staff to act against those who refuse to abide by the law.

The country cannot implement similar measures if abuse is not curbed however; we cannot prolong the waiting time to have some measures in place until the necessary enforcement is up and running. Our country cannot prolong this process; our people cannot just ignore this irresponsible behaviour

We are obliged to ensure that we offer the best possible services and opportunities to our residents to help them dispose of their waste in the best possible manner; the handholding period is now over.

The outcome and the consequences of the toing and froing of previous governments is well known. This is a reformist government who is not afraid to implement the necessary changes. This sector deserves its importance and priorities and should be at the forefront of the changes that need to take place.

We are faced with a problem or rather a challenge that if handled collectively could be changed in an opportunity.  The thought of carrying out future projects is interesting however we first have to tackle the basic matters. The most basic and the most important is that we ensure that our residents are geared up into the waste separation process in the most effective manner.

Let’s take the bull by the horn and proceed in the same direction without further delay. This process already forms part of the country’s waste management vision which we now need to implement.  Let us all understand that everyone’s little contribution towards this initiative is highly beneficial and that we have to ensure that our planet is passed on to our future generations in the best possible state.

We all state that our children are our most valuable asset however, if this statement is measured against how we actually take care of our waste management, I have my doubts on its relevance.

Let’s be part of this change together.

Mario Fava
President

Minister for Environment, Energy and Enterprise Miriam Dalli announced an €800,000 scheme for local councils to implement sustainable projects in their communities.

This is the first time that local councils across Malta and Gozo can benefit from a scheme for sustainable development projects.

In a meeting held between Minister Miriam Dalli, the Director within the Directorate for Sustainable Development George Said, and the President of the Association for Local Councils Mario Fava emphasised the role of local councils as a catalyst to have more sustainable localities.

Minister Miriam Dalli explained that the main objective of this fund, administered by the Directorate for Sustainable Development, is to assist communities in the development of projects that promote sustainability in the various domains. In this way, we will be strengthening Malta’s progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“The vision for our country is that of a sustainable future, which we can achieve if we act together. The local councils are an integral part of this transition towards a more inclusive and environmentally healthy society”, said Minister Miriam Dalli.  Minister Dalli also stated that “Through the sustainable development goals, we want to ensure that we create opportunities for future generations in the three main areas of social, economic and environmental development.”

Local councils are encouraged to propose projects that further improve the quality of life of the residents and that contribute to the social, economic, and environmental wellbeing, such as improving accessibility, creating open spaces, green mobility projects, retrofitting of public buildings, and innovative waste management practices.

Local councils across Malta and Gozo are invited to apply for this scheme by submitting project proposals that can be implemented in the coming months. The best proposals will receive a grant equivalent to 85% of the actual cost of the project up to a maximum of €300,000.

Applications open today and must be submitted by Friday, 23 September 2022 until 12pm on sustainabledevelopment@gov.mt

The guidelines and application are available on the website: https://sustainabledevelopment.gov.mt/sustainable-localities-scheme/.

by Mario Fava – President LCA

Moving with the times is important – everything that has a beginning along time has to be renewed and everything which has a start does not necessarily has to have the same ending.  Every taken decision has to be followed through for continuity purposes.

This is what should have happened in the Local Government context way back in 2019 when Parliament was discussing the reform in Local Government.  Reforms are meant to bring on change, renewability and above all ensure that the resident benefits from such changes.

So, on the point of an improved service to the resident, I would like to forward my recommendations on something which could bring forth a complete change about how the Local Councils could be more efficient and uplevel their service.  This brings on increased confidence and trust from the residents and thus brings both parties closer together.  The Ombudsman for Local Government is a useful tool for the Local Government and such model is being used in other countries.

What is the Ombudsman role?

The primary duties of an elected and appointed Ombudsman are to investigate complaints of individuals against companies, organisations/departments and public entities. The Ombudsman is an independent and impartial official who offers his free of charge service to the citizen. Received complaints by the Ombudsman would generally be those unresolved complaints companies, entities, departments or organisations or those where the citizen would still feel he was treated unfairly. The adopted procedure for the Ombudsman to decide which case to investigate is handled by the Ombudsman himself. Like many other countries, Malta offers this service on a national level.

Why should there be a Local Ombudsman?

The Local Ombudsman has to be the institution that is in line with the same obligations on a local level, thus directly effecting the Local Councils. It has an investigative role about complaints being put forward by the public against the Local Councils and others put forward by the Local Councils against government entities and departments.

This new and independent institution has to investigate anything that has to do the with the Local Government.  We are providing residents who are neither being treated fairly nor given the chance to air their concerns the right channel to do so. On the other hand, this institution serves as the right platform for Local Councils whenever government departments and entities are not being just and treating Local Councils as Local Government

This institution is also the right space for a case to be put forward against any elected members or members within the administrative section of the Local Councils should they fail to comply with their ethical behaviour or obligations. There are situations where there is a Board of Governance which has never attracted the proper respect and trust from those who form part of the Local Government within our country. No authority which lacks teeth could ever leave a proper impact. Therefore, the Ombudsman Office has to have the role to forward its recommendations to the Minister whenever the latter has to provide an adequate reply and thus abide by these recommendations.

Undoubtedly this gives more power both to the resident and the Local Council since they both feel that there is an authority of their trust which would intervene on their behalf whenever they feel ignored.

• The duties of the Ombudsman

For the Local Government, the Ombudsman, amongst others, must investigate allegations of wrong leadership which would have created an injustice with a resident or Local Council. A clear example that comes to mind is when there is lack of adherence to the law which stipulates that the resident has to be inclusive and informed about the Council’s business plan.

The Ombudsman has to ensure that even such services which are being offered won’t make a distinction between Regions, offered services and social inclusion

In the occurrence of such cases, the local Ombudsman has to work on doable recommendations and forward them over to the Local Government division where one has to ensure that these recommendations will be actioned in line to the ones of the Auditor General.

• Good governance

One could drive his car from one destination to another and along the road creates various contraventions for which one could be penalized.  On the other hand, one could make the same trip with the same vehicle, abides by the traffic rules and still reaches his destination.  The outcome is that in the first scenario one would have reached his destination with a number of traffic contraventions whereas during the second scenario one would have arrived safe and sound.  This also applies in leadership; leadership could be just and transparent or it could be corrupt.

Such measure is of utmost importance since both the citizen and the Local Council would ensure an enhancement in good Governance.

Therefore, what leads to wrong administration?

Wrong administration is the result of various factors namely: excessive lengthiness for decisions to be executed, wrong actions taken or lack of action at all, poor law enforcement, lack of provided information on certain measures or decisions, lack of proper record keeping, lack of effective investigations, lack of adequate replies to what is questioned, false declarations taking place that could lead to corrupt information, wrong consultation and unactioned promises; all of these shortcomings could happen by the Local Councils, the Central Government and entities which pertain to it

In the eventuality that these occur from the Local Councils, the residents could approach the local Ombudsman whereas the Local Councils could refer to the Ombudsman should such mishaps occur from the Local Government’s side, it’s departments or entities.

We are thus ensuring that such a measure reinforces the rights of the resident and his representatives and is the model of not just good Governance but the overseeing of the rights of both the public in general and those of the Local Councils.

• Published recommendations

The recommendations forwarded by the Ombudsman must to be published while the identity of the person putting forward the allegations must be kept anonymous should that be needed and requested. It is of public interest that there should be the details of what is being investigated, the investigation itself and the recommendations forwarded along with having in place the necessary regulatory framework to ensure that these recommendations are executed. Such reports should contribute towards bench markings of the Local Councils’ performance, entities, and government agencies.

I strongly believe that such an initiative could and will increase and consolidate interest and trust towards the duties of the Local Councils and would surely help to fade away any wrong perceptions in their regard.