Gharb Local Council closed the locality and banned the entry of construction vehicles and the issuance of related permits for one week between the 16th and 22nd September, as part of the worldwide Mobility Week initiative.

The Council said that this first initiative of its kind in Malta and Gozo had sparked a discussion as to whether it was a success and if should it be held more often so as to further reduce the pollution generated by these vehicles and works related to construction.

“The initiative had a very favourable impact and for a few days the Locality was quieter, more accessible to road users, with less pollution from construction work in the air and noise. It was not easy but the Council was determined to help breathe a sigh of relief for residents who face daily problems related to the construction industry,” it said.

The Council stressed that its residents “have priority over everything and the Council is committed to protecting the health and lives of people first.”

The Council said that “among those who protested over the ban were the constructors, as well as local people undergoing construction work on their property who were forced to stop for seven consecutive days.”

The Locality was under surveillance and for those who abused the ban there was a penalty for violating traffic laws, it said.

The Gharb Local Council concluded by saying that it “considered the initiative to be very positive and despite the few complaints the overall response had been very good” and planed to repeat this initiative by “improving on where it had gone wrong, or where there may have been more communication and information provided to the general public.”

Photo: Gharb Local Council

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