From the very first days after independence from Britain, Gozo has always been geopolitically and socio-economically integrated with Malta. Consecutive governments have all strived to initiate public policy measures which, it was hoped, would alleviate the adversities that Gozitan residents face because of the lack of a permanent link with mainland Malta.
International studies demonstrate strongly that one’s residential location affects life opportunities and quality of life. Residing in Gozo brings two key obstacles for inhabitants to enjoy optimal levels of well-being: living relatively far from an industrial urban region where quality jobs are generally found, and being disconnected by sea from that region.
Indeed, while a person in Marsaxlokk may also have to face traffic issues to travel north for work and to access basic social and healthcare services, he/she does not have to face an unreliable ferry schedule due to seasonal queues or its interruption because of bad weather.
Over the years, all governments have worked incessantly to improve the crossing to and from Malta. Ferry schedules improved while shuttle services do ease problems in rush hours but we still have to face a travel schedule which we cannot be assured of, apart from its unpredictability.
Moreover, successive governments created back office work on Gozo in addition to telework and other family-friendly measures to decrease the number of times a resident in Gozo has to travel for work to the mainland.
There is no doubt that such policy measures have led to improved levels in the well-being of Gozitan residents.
However, we would be missing the wood for the trees if we believe that all is fine in Gozo.
For any investment in Gozo to survive on a long-term basis, it has to be supported by a permanent link
Unfortunately, the reality is otherwise. Most crucially, the human capital drain persists and is getting worse. Recent years have witnessed not only young Gozitans settling in Malta but their parents following suit to live in their vicinity and help with their parenting responsibilities.
The fact that more Gozitans are choosing to switch residence is not unanticipated since the lack of a permanent link between the islands means that a Gozitan resident can never enjoy the same levels of education, health and sports facilities, or job opportunities, compared to Maltese peers.
The crucial point is that Gozo residents need and want more control over their travelling schedule.
Let us not pull the wool over our eyes by quoting National Statistic Office figures, which document some 30,000 Gozitan residents in Malta.
Everyone knows that half this figure mostly includes Maltese but even Gozitan people who, in reality, live in Malta where they are either studying or working.
Today, the government is on the brink of a major investment in the health sector in Gozo with the establishment of a new state-of-the-art, 400-bed capacity hospital and the Barts school of medicine, which would lead to huge positive ripple effects on the Gozitan economy.
However, I firmly believe that, for any investment in Gozo to survive on a long-term basis, it has to be supported by a permanent link. Otherwise, I fear that its sustainability will not survive in the contemporary economic order where time is money.
The money spent on this project is morally acceptable because the permanent tunnel link will improve both the personal well-being of Gozitan residents and the economy of the Maltese nation as a whole. Let us not forget that the costs for the Kappara junction and the first phase for Marsa junction will exceed €100 million. These projects were implemented to ease traffic and shorten travelling time.
What are the financial issues involved in the construction of a permanent tunnel link between the island of Gozo and Malta?
The positive impact of a permanent link abound while possible negative effects are, in fact, minimal.
The permanent link will not take away Gozo’s cultural heritage or its scenic views and countryside.
On the contrary, it will enable Gozitan high earners currently residing in Malta to relocate to Gozo and commute daily at their leisure and not at the mercy of the ferry schedule.
The permanent link will attract much investment to Gozo, which will make quality jobs available to Gozitan residents, and will also ensure that the health investment by Barts will prosper for many decades to come.
I believe that the potential of Gozo is limitless and that permanently linking this island to Malta would lead to so much social and economic progress that it would become the most attractive region of Malta.
The reason I entered politics is to change people’s life opportunities and improve their present and future well-being.
We can continue to do piecemeal politics, catering for individual needs, but I believe we are at that important juncture to take the leap and deliver this project, benefiting the many, current and future generations of Gozitans, who want to live and prosper on the island they grew to love.
Franco Mercieca is a Labour MP.