Reducing school traffic congestion in Malta

Abstract

This study analyses the economic benefits of a policy suggestion which tackles the issue of traffic congestion in Malta, through a Cost-Benefit Analysis. This policy consists of extending the free provision of transport to school children attending independent and church schools while ensuring that children are picked up at a reasonable time and that on-board supervision would be present. This dissertation makes use of primary data collected through survey questionnaires, which were an important part of forecasting the demand for the policy suggestion. Thereafter, this paper engages in the calculation of four separate economic benefits namely the savings in time for parents, the fuel saved by parents, and the net reduction in climate change inducing emissions as well as air pollutants. A cost-calculation exercise regarding the yearly operational cost of the school transport was carried out so as to have a complete Benefit-Cost comparison. The results obtained show a remarkably positive Benefit-Cost ratio, implying that the introduction of free school transport for independent and church school children would be beneficial for society. The major reduction in economic costs was associated with the direct costs of time and fuel. These two categories of economic benefits encompassed both idle and non-idle time components. The idle or congestion-related components inflated the benefits by a significant percentage, further increasing the justification for organised school transport. This study also reveals that due to the acute traffic congestion situation in Malta, good policies introduced to alleviate traffic go a very long way in reducing the economic costs. Transport nowadays is so interwoven in the fabric of civilisation that Governments should look beyond the Financial Net Present Value calculation and focus on increasing overall economic benefits to the society.