Commenting on what he describes as “yet more useless road building in Gozo,” ADPD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said, “ADPD condemns in absolute terms the latest assault on our countryside. This time, the attack targets 10,693 square metres of agricultural land in Gozo and hundreds of trees for yet another unnecessary road widening project.”

Cacopardo, in a statement, said,”unless drastic action and a change in the mind-set of those taking decisions is made, however unlikely, the country will continue to lose what little precious land it has left for the sake of profit for the few, for short-term political ambitions.”

He added that, “farmers will continue to be ignored and their land destroyed on the altar of greed.”

“The hollowness of government promises on the environment and quality of life ring as loudly as ever,” stated Cacopardo. “The gluttons feasting on our quality of life will never have enough.”

“The Victoria-Marsalforn project, the threat against agricultural land in Qormi, the Central-Link and every field and open space destroyed to serve the fictional notion of ‘solving traffic problems’ will only be another step down a long and hungry road to nowhere,” he said.

Cacopardo concluded by saying, “it is time for reform and for action.”

ADPD Secretary General, Ralph Cassar stated, “our proposals include first of all, that government, Infrastructure Malta’s Frederick Azzopardi and Ian Borg stop ignoring their own policies set out in the Transport Masterplan.”

“Government has missed the targets set out in its own policies. It continues to pursue a 1960 and 70s mind-set, that is adding more roads and flyovers instead of pursuing today’s best-practices,” he said.

Cassar went on to say that “a Bus Rapid Transit system is a must, together with other measures such as massive pedestrianisation programmes and safe and proper bicycle routes connecting all Malta and Gozo.”

“It is indeed laughable that the Minister for Tourism Clayton Bartolo, is touting Malta as a cycling destination, when the cyclists’ organisation points out the lack of proper safety measures and safe routes on our roads, including the new ones, which space is given over completely to cars,” he said.

Ralph Cassar concluded by saying that, “for government the only form of commuting worth encouraging is that using cars. Maybe Clayton Bartolo should have a good word with Ian Borg.”

Last year, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, the environment and heritage NGO, condemned the fact that Infrastructure Malta is proceeding with its plans to widen the road leading from Victoria, to Marsalforn.

FAA argued that as part of the TEN-T project that has destroyed so much agricultural land at Attard, the Gozo project is also set to take up more agricultural land and uproot 180 trees, 54 of them protected species.

These trees, FAA said, that add such beauty and welcome shade on this road are described as a “safety hazard” in the Project Description Statement.

The same report, FAA said, admits that “In general, traffic congestion is not present in either traffic flow direction along the link, except for occasional congestion occurring in the initial segment of the street…. The roundabout arm of Triq Kapuccini has a narrow carriage width which causes an occasional bottleneck…”

Photo FAA

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