Government have announced the launch of the Sustainable Traffic, Transport and Parking Plan (STTPP). Govt says the publication of the Plan is a key manifesto commitment, which has involved a multi departmental team within the Ministries for Infrastructure & Planning and the Environment.

A spokesperson for Government explained, "The STTPP aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of Gibraltar’s transport network problems and identify possible solutions. The Plan aims to lead Gibraltar towards more sustainable transport practices and at the same time help meet air quality objectives. The plan itself is based on developing a new transport model and evaluating options for improving traffic flow and parking management with the overriding aim of encouraging behavioural change and a shift in modal transport to more sustainable alternatives."

"The Plan has been the result of extensive work which first started in 2012 with an extensive public consultation process involving the whole community including businesses, organisations and individuals alike. The development of the Plan required substantial data collection which was undertaken by the Traffic Team of the Technical Services Department who have worked closely with Mott Macdonald, the Government’s appointed consultant responsible for developing the Plan.

"The final draft of the STTPP has taken on-board extensive public feedback following the publication of the Public Summary Document published in 2015 and sets a comprehensive traffic and transport policy for at least the next ten years. The key areas which have been addressed within the plan include the use and availability of Public Transport, the promotion and use of more sustainable methods of transport, parking related issues, proposed pilot schemes together with for- ward planning."

The STTPP document has been made available publicly as from today and will also be available online for download from the Government of Gibraltar website: www.gibraltar.gov.gi

A non-technical summary document which provides an overview of the full version of the plan is also being published and will be available from the Ministry for Infrastructure & Planning and will also be available for download from the Government of Gibraltar website.

The Minister for Infrastructure and Planning the Hon Paul Balban said: “It gives me great pleasure to be able to present today this final document. It has been the fruit of many, many months of hard work and it will provide the backbone to all traffic and transport developments in the future. A project of this magnitude has never been undertaken in Gibraltar. The Plan must be malleable in order to adapt to changes as Gibraltar develops and grows in the future. It must also be able to look ahead far enough to recognise that there is a need to encourage more environmentally acceptable and sustainable methods of transport over a length of time."

The Minister for the Environment Dr John Cortes added: “Traffic and Transport are among the most important environmental issues in any modern city, and Gibraltar is no different. This Plan is a massive step, and as its recommendations roll out, it will result in real improvements in our quality of life and the state of our urban environment.”