5 comments so far.Publish the Gozo tunnel and bridge studies, says AD
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“In view of the fact that the Prime Minister Dr Jooseph Muscat, has today declared that he saw a bridge or a tunnel from Malta to Gozo as a must,” Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson Prof. Arnold Cassola, stated, “since the Prime Minister has made up his mind and has decided, it is obvious that he has all the feasibility, economic, environmental and social studies on the fixed link option at his disposal.”
“Alternattiva Demokratika is therefore asking the Prime Minister to publish all these studies immediately, so that all Maltese and Gozitans can make a reasoned judgement on the issue,” Prof. Cassola concluded.
He also says he wants a fixed wing landing strip so it would be interesting to see the feasibility, economic, environmental and social studies on that as well. I have already provided him with a source of earlier studies which have always stated that a fixed wing service between the islands could never be financially sustainable. However I think it is less to do with operating a service for tourists as tourists have no interest in it, and more to do with providing a landing strip for his business friends.
Mr James. Tyrrell, I agree with you a service for tourists, last summer we
had a group from our family that visited Gozo and Malta and they enjoyed it very much,
and going on the boat trip around both Gozo and Malta was great, the videos
they brought with them both the families saw on a large TV screen and they were
expressing the pleasure of the scenery, and I have not been there for more than 30 years !!!!!!!!!!
When it comes to choosing between a tunnel and a bridge, the answer is simple. As it is all pie in the sky, it has to be the bridge!
I am not sure why any one would want a tunnel or a bridge to connect to Gozo You only have to look at the total chaos and gridlock there is during Carnival weekend, can you imagine that day in and day out. The whole Idea of Gozo is that it is separate from Malta and has a totally different lifestyle. By all means increase the ferry service’s and perhaps start a direct fast ferry service to Valletta , but that’s really all it needs,. after all if people wanted Gozo to be like Malta ,they would be living in mainland Malta
Some of the environmentalists may have been shocked and even disturbed by the idea of a bridge linking Gozo with Malta, but have they ever lived in Gozo? And I do not mean for a week’s holiday, but all year round.
They want to help preserve our magnificent island and even more, our future generations. But what does they mean by future generations? What is their problem the future of Gozitan children or some of the Maltese who want to continue having an idyllic and peaceful holiday destination?
It seems that some of the Maltese enjoy the ferry crossing. But have they ever had to do it every single day, rain or shine, to get to work? Or in force 7 or 8 winds trying desperately to get to their workplace in time? Have they ever seen their youths, aged only 18, having to leave home every Sunday night and return on Friday because they have to be in Malta to receive their higher education and cannot afford to cross over every day? And this is not just for a week but for years.
I think they need to understand what we Gozitans go through every single day. If nothing is done, and soon, Gozo will be losing its young people because the island lacks job opportunities. After completing their higher education, very few young Gozitans are returning home and we cannot blame them.
Gozo does not have a bright future at all and at this rate, in the very near future, its population is bound to decline considerably.
The only thing Gozo would be ideal for then is a peaceful holiday or as a lovely place for a large old people’s home as the average age of people living here will definitely go up.
Bridges have been built all around the world and identities have been kept; this can be done between Malta and Gozo too.
Some people want to dump the idea of a bridge but before dumping anything, I suggest one has to see what we Gozitans really need… Maybe it is about time that everyone concerned starts looking into this matter seriously.