Budget 2027 fails to address traffic and education challenges, PN says

The Nationalist Party has criticised Budget 2027 for failing to address traffic congestion, questioning the government's Malta in Motion strategy, and the time required for its proposed rapid transit system to materialise.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, PN shadow minister Ivan Castillo said traffic was costing people time, affecting their well-being and reducing productivity.

He argued that Malta in Motion relied on transport alternatives that were not yet adequately developed as “walking requires better pavements, cycling needs proper lanes, while public transport continues to face problems with lengthy journeys.”

However, Castillo's main concern was the proposed rapid transit system, which he said would require two years of studies before a preferred option could be approved, followed by another five years before works could begin.

Castillo said traffic problems were not addressed in Budget 2027, despite costing the country an estimated €770 million annually, potentially rising to €917 million. He also referred to workers spending around 150 hours a year stuck in traffic, equivalent to two-thirds of their annual leave.

Congestion, he said, was contributing to anxiety and stress while affecting people's productivity and quality of life.

Castillo also questioned the government's changes to driving licence restrictions for third-country nationals (TCNs), following exemptions introduced, after the budget, for healthcare workers and refugees.

He estimated that around 15,000 TCNs held driving licences and said that if half gave them up, Malta would need an additional 75 buses to accommodate the increased demand for public transport.

Castillo argued that many would instead turn to motorcycles, calling for stronger incentives for electric vehicles.

He also criticised the lack of progress on a national parking strategy, saying the government had commissioned surveys and developed transport plans without presenting concrete measures in the budget.

Among the PN's proposals were expanding the electric vehicle scheme, improving alternative transport and investigating why parents were not making greater use of free school transport. Castillo also suggested introducing remote lectures and changing university and MCAST timetables to reduce peak-hour traffic.

He added that the PN had offered to examine the available data with the government, stressing that traffic was a national problem with no easy solutions.

On maritime transport, Castillo questioned the government's proposed eco-tax on cruise liners and changes to yacht registration, asking whether sufficient studies and stakeholder consultations had taken place.

He also flagged fuel subsidies for yachts between 10 and 24 metres, claiming that around 80% of them aren't registered in Malta, despite benefiting from the scheme.

On aviation, he questioned the lack of progress on the proposed Gozo runway and the National Aviation Academy, which he said had not been mentioned since the government first announced it.

Education, LSE shortages, and teacher retention

PN shadow minister for education Jerome Caruana Cilia said the party supported several budget measures, including the superbonus, free childcare, the bonus for families with children who continued studying, and the COLA increase to stipends.

However, he argued that the budget failed to address structural problems in education, particularly the shortage of learning support educators (LSEs).

Caruana Cilia said the government's announcement of 125 additional LSEs did not change the fact that schools had started the academic year without the support they needed.

“Parents should be assured that children requiring additional assistance would receive it,” he said.

On teacher shortages, Caruana Cilia referred to an EY report indicating that 550 additional teachers would be needed over the next decade. He said the government was struggling to retain teachers, while fewer students were choosing teaching as a profession. He suggested reduced working hours as a possible measure to improve teachers' work-life balance and make the profession more attractive.

He also called for greater investment in psychosocial services, warning that lengthy waiting lists continued to affect access to mental health support for students. 

Other concerns included students starting the academic year without all their required textbooks and Malta's latest PISA results, which showed the country's worst performance since it began participating in the international assessment, in mathematics, reading, and science. Caruana Cilia said the government needed to investigate the reasons behind the results, regardless of which political party was in government.

He also questioned whether sufficient studies and consultations had taken place before introducing the no-homework policy and changes to half-yearly examinations, arguing that a single approach could not suit every college.

On school infrastructure, he criticised the lack of air conditioning in some state schools, referring to reports of students fainting during the heat, including during Matsec examinations.

He said the government had previously indicated that air conditioning would be introduced, but argued that the measures should have been implemented earlier.

“Air conditioning and solar panels were necessities rather than luxuries,” he added.

The PN also proposed a national conference involving stakeholders from across the education sector to discuss the challenges facing schools, including the PISA results, and develop a long-term vision.

Speaking to journalists, Caruana Cilia said the PN would retain measures it considered positive but argued that the budget lacked concrete initiatives to improve Malta's low productivity levels.