ESG welcomes Environment Ministry taking on transport

The ESG on Friday said it welcomes the announcement that the ministerial responsibility for transport will now form part of the Ministry for the Environment’s responsibilities.

In a statement the group said transport in Gibraltar has long been an issue of concern to the group given the serious environmental and public health impacts from this activity.

“It believes air pollution and climate change factors, as laid out in Gibraltar’s Climate Strategy, underpins the need for urgent action in this area,” the ESG said.

The ESG said it has published its wish list in many areas including Road Transport issues since 2003.

It said the need to launch and enforce the anti-idling law, especially in vulnerable locations such as schools, all bus stops (Govt and Private), taxi ranks, coach parks and at popular tourist site remains at the top of its priorities.

Other areas where the ESG would like to see urgent action being taken are on the need to replace all second hand buses, which fail EU emission standards in place to protect public health, with clean alternatives.

And lastly it called on the Gibraltar Government to update the MOT emission standards, which it said “permits vehicles to pollute to their date of manufacture allowing emission of dangerous levels of pollutants”.

These are especially harmful to the young and the elderly, the ESG added.

“On an ongoing basis there are several other issues we are concerned about regarding impacts from transport that we will take up with the new Minister for Transport as soon as we are given a meeting date,” the ESG said.