Picture this: fumes rising that block the sun in clouds of grey, beastlike machines roaring that scare the birds away, concrete jungles and concrete plains stretching from Mellieha to Birzebbuga. This land degradation and ungodly urbanised (lacking any appeal) plateaus are any islanders worst nightmare.

Throughout this article, I might sound overly dramatic and I could easily say: we are on the brink of annihilation, on the front lines of this battle for mother earth and our future; and hope that would prove to you how crucial a role we all have to play in the avoidance of this hellish nightmare that`s sitting on our doorstep, and leave it at that. However, that might sound to most like hippie nonsense so I`ll try a different approach and be more graceful throughout this piece.

I don`t know about you, but personally in the corner of my mind I do find myself occasionally having a conversation with myself (or sometimes with actual people) about the perception of distance. Us Maltese tend to find it, somewhat begrudgingly to travel from one side of the island to the other, or even a 1 or 2-hour drive is often regarded as a day`s trip; while for our friends across the pond, those from mainland Europe, seem to regard distance somewhat differently. For instance, if you had to travel from one of the northern most cities in France, Dunkirk, to one of the southern most cities in France, Perpignan, it would roughly take you 11 hours to cross circa 1,140.7km. While in Malta, from Birzebbuga to Mellieha, roughly a distance for 28.5km is estimated to take 39 minutes. But as we know all too well, with the number of cars on the road, it would take 2 or 3 hours depending on traffic.

While we can appreciate the different perception of distance, we need to recognise that we live under this illusion of a grand distance from one side of our tiny island to the other. For instance, let`s compare a port city in southern France, Marseille, which has an area of 240.6km² with a population of 861,635, while in Malta we have an area of 316km² with a population of 518,536. We fail to realise that Malta is but a microstate. It should not take us all these hours to cross our beautiful country. If it hasn’t occurred to people yet, by tackling the issue of construction and transportation, Malta would not be just any old concrete jungle, but could rise to heights of how people regard grand cities like Dubai. Malta can be a great, sustainable, blue-green circular economic, megalopolitan microstate.

More people in the street means more cars on the road. In Malta we have got used to butchering the little nature we have left, to replace the trees with concrete pillars to hold our junctions, soil with tarmac, animal sounds with machine noise. Last October, the NSO released a shocking statement how the stock of licensed motor vehicles stood at 422,576 (74.9% were passenger cars). That’s more than half our population. This increase in vehicles, 58.8% of which are petrol-powered engines and 36.9% of which are diesel-powered engines, have tremendous environmental and health issues.

As you can see, we miss the forest for the trees, but now we miss it for the cars. This dire issue is affecting us all: past, present, and future. What I mean by this is that we, the present, have a duty to change the face of the past for the future. We are the road to change. Nothing can be changed until we face this challenge. 

For a state of our size, shouldn`t we opt to be Greener? We could utilise the roads we have and convert their purpose for transportations to that of trams, which fills the gap between trains and buses. They can carry large numbers of people, are faster than buses, and can stop more often than trains. Trams would help add to our aesthetic capital, improve our air quality, reduce congestion, tackle climate change, cutting down on car expenses…just to name a few. Does this not already sound much nicer? Obviously, this is just one idea. There are various political parties and organisations, such as: Rota- who advocate for sustainable mobility in Malta for instance bicycle transportation.

Changing the face of the Maltese public transport will encourage people to leave their cars behind. Imagine not having to worry about parking, petrol consumption, car maintenance and so on, and instead using that extra cash to treat yourself. Obviously, Malta needs a multifaceted and sustainable solution to make the shabby buses, and the act of being packed like sardines gasping for air, a thing of the past. Imagine taking the public transport that is sustainable, is on time, aesthetically pleasing, having plenty of leg space, and actually getting to your job on time.

Obviously, cars will not be eliminated. As such, hybrid/electric cars should therefore be the definition and face of the Maltese private transport. This will in turn help create more pedestrianised and bicycle friendly towns which would add to our aesthetic capital and improve our health.

This is just the beginning, the beginning of the end of all worries hopefully, and unlike Babylon, Malta won’t fall. We need to start step by step, from the bottom, and work our way up or we will never live to see Malta achieve greater heights. After all, we the people have the power to redeem the work of fools, and through our collaboration we can pump life back into our islands.   

This article was written by an independent writer whose views are not associated with The Third Eye. The Third Eye strives to be the student’s voice, and that entails giving them a platform to voice their opinions.

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How Students Will Be Impacted

The Stipend Conundrum

Students all over the country are rejoicing as the government announced another increase in stipend, this time based on the cost-of-living adjustment. However, SDM was quick to point out that the reason Junior College has started offering four year courses is because students cannot live on the stipend alone and many of them already have a job.

Although SDM appreciates the increase in student stipend, that of one euro every week, four euros every month and fifty euro every year, we would like to point out that it is still not enough for a typical student to keep up with all scholastic and daily needs.

SDM urges the government to revisit the stipend situation and make the necessary changes.

Furthermore, KNŻ raised the matter that the same stipend that applies for full-time students should also apply for part-time students.

The Forgotten Land Of Gozo

SDM and KSU identified the lack of proposals in place for Gozitan students. While the government will provide first time buyers with a €10K grant, KSU and SDM both expressed the lack of consideration towards Gozitan students.

KSU hopes that more initiatives are introduced with a specific focus given to renting students, more importantly, Gozitans.

Issues such as commutes, rentals, and further investment in the Gozo Campus should be prioritised considerably throughout 2023.

The Every Morning Traffic Headache

Everyone dreads the morning commute due to the excessive amount of traffic one encounters on the road. However, mornings are even harder on students who have to catch a bus to University of their respective schools. While public transport is already free, the government is discussing the possibility of limiting certain vehicles from being on the road during rush hour, in hopes of reducing traffic.

Encouraging Students To Study Abroad

KSU’s statement continued with praising the government for their initiative of strengthening current tax credit and scholarship programs have been strengthened for students who want to pursue post-graduate courses overseas.

To guarantee that as many students as possible are aware of these subsidies, KSU proposes more education and informational resources are given to students.

A New ITS Campus Is Set To Emerge

In a pre-budget meeting with representatives from the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced excavation work will soon start on the site of the Institute of Tourism Studies’ (ITS) new campus in Smart City.

The new campus will include classrooms, offices, a library, cafeteria, and auditorium. The campus will also have added facilities, such as, five incubation centres, a wine cellar, three restaurants with connected kitchens, culinary science labs, a bakery, and student housing.

A day-care centre, ancillary stores, and two levels of subterranean parking are included among the additional amenities. Additionally, a basketball court will be built.

Concluding Thoughts

While the 2023 budget mentions important points and initiatives the government plans on taking, student organisations believe that more discussions need to be held regarding students and how they can benefit from these plans

For KSU’s full statement click here.

For SDM’s full statement click here.

For KNZ’s full statement click here.

The post The 2023 Budget: The Good, The Bad, And The Student Organisations’ Reactions appeared first on The Third Eye.

We all know the continuous daily struggle of a university student: getting in your car every morning expecting a convenient drive, but instead it goes more like this; first you end up stuck in traffic for a good 45 minutes and then, once you arrive at university you have to spend another 30 minutes looking for parking.

Apart from the fact that this causes a lot of frustration, which no one needs before a full day at university, it is also adding to the traffic and air quality problems that Malta currently has on its plate.

In 2018 the country saw a 6.7% increase of CO₂ emissions compared to the previous year.  Couple this with the fact that an average of 78 new cars are joining our roads every day, this issue is only getting worse.  This is why it is imperative we start thinking of alternative ways to get around, and what better place to start with than travelling to university?

Public Transport

The most obvious and expected answer is public transport. Yes, we understand that this is not a popular choice with many people, especially since not everyone has the luxury of a direct route. However, it is the mode that has the largest impact on traffic congestion. It also offers students a more economical alternative, due to the fact that youths aged between 16 and 20 are eligible for free public transport with the use of their student tallinja card.  

As a bonus you don’t have to endure the added frustration and road rage yourself, but instead you can scroll through your phone (even if it is swiping through Tinder for 30 minutes) and relax for a bit before getting on with the rest of your day.

Carpooling

Whether it is by making use of the available carpooling services or by simply sharing lifts with your friends, carpooling is an encouraged alternative. Plan your week out and see who will be driving on which day.

Apart from the fact that you will be reducing 1 to 4 cars from the roads, there is the advantage of using KSU’s carpooling scheme whereby if you carpool, you secure a parking space on campus. This way, you also have a morning laugh as you watch your friends saying all sorts of delightful words, as they are hit with road rage.

Electric Vehicles

If you prefer getting to university on your own, you can always make use of electric vehicle rental services, which are very easy to use. Although, unfortunately, these still contribute to the traffic problem, you can arrive at university guilt free, knowing that the vehicle you drove made zero emissions. Both cars and scooters are available, with the appropriate license.

Cycling and Walking

The final two alternatives are the least impactful to the environment, and the infamous traffic is avoided. Cycling can be not only beneficial to the environment but to your health as well. Indeed, it can be dangerous on the road, as they are not known for being cyclist-friendly. But by making that extra effort to find a relatively safe route, you could find yourself getting to university on time while fitting in a morning workout (and this way you have an excuse not to go to the gym).

If you have the advantage of living close to university, walking is the best option for both your anxiety levels and the environment. Granted, sometimes the weather can be your worst enemy, but at least you don’t have to scream at anyone for not using their indicator.

Instead of telling yourself every morning, “Illami xi dwejjaq ta’ traffiku,” do something about it and switch to the many alternatives available to us.  Be one of the first to say ‘no’ to cars and ‘yes’ to something different, and to something greener.

The post How to get to University without losing your sanity OR the environment appeared first on The Third Eye.

On Monday 11th February, KSU hosted an Admin Forum in which all student organisations came together to discuss the pressing issue as well as to listen to a national proposal by Konrad Xuereb from KonceptX.

Dr Xuereb is suggesting to the government plans for a metro system and 3 foot/cycle bridges from Sliema, Manoel Island and Senglea to Valletta, which aim to connect the Maltese islands. Student representatives were quite intrigued by the ideas and followed to ask questions to Dr Xuereb about the feasibility of such proposals who admitted that in the long run his recommendations would leave an impact on public transport for the better.

The organisations’ representatives however were far more eager to discuss the impending issues of university parking. KSU President Carla Galea explained how there was a lack of communication between the administration and KSU which left the student body shocked with the closure news of lower Car Park 6.

Modes of alternative transport were discussed which gave rise to a heated debate between students who argued that such alternative methods were being consulted and made use of by the student body, but the issue of parking still remains for those who cannot use alternatives.

Tensions are rising high amongst students which might even escalate and lead to a national demonstration, as suggested by KSU members and various student representatives.

The following day, KSU organised press conference as they insisted that the situation should be cleared with the entire student body.

The parking issue arose out of plans for the construction of a number of new faculties; one of four projects on campus aimed at improving students’ university life. During the press conference, Carla Galea emphasised their support of these developments that ultimately benefit the students. However, Galea disapproved how extremely late they were informed about these developments.

“A drastic change such as this should have been communicated more diplomatically with the students, especially considering that all this took place during the exam period and that the situation cannot be mitigated.”

KSU President, Carla Galea

In light of these developments, Galea pressed on the need for our attention to shift from short run solutions to sustainable projects that will benefit students in the long run. In this respect KSU has already implemented various initiatives in collaboration with private organisations such as MPT, GoTo Malta, Greenroads Malta and Nextbike.

Despite KSU’s fruitful initiatives, Galea stressed the need to collaborate with the University on implementing further alternatives as it affects both the students and the university staff. She also appealed to the authorities to prioritise alternative methods of transport and consider long-term solutions that will ideally ease the persistent problem of traffic congestion in Malta and our excessive dependency on private vehicles. That said, KSU will be having a meeting with Transport Malta to further discuss potential measures to be taken.

On Thursday morning, a huge chunk of Car Park 6 was closed for construction which created a lot of disruption, traffic and bottlenecks to access the upper part of the car park.

With this being said, The Third Eye team would like to wish you all happy parking games and may the odds be ever in your favour.

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