Lands Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi failed to provide a timeline for when works will begin on the €35 million long-promised project to roof over part of the Regional Road in Santa Venera. 

Instead, he said the track record of the Labour government shows that “what is promised, is done... and facts show that this is a government where people know where they stand”.

Zrinzo Azzopardi was replying to a parliamentary question on Tuesday asked by PN MP Darren Carabott, who wanted to know when works on the project will begin. 

In 2019, then environment minister José Herrera launched plans for a ‘green lung’ roofing over part of the Regional Road that divides Santa Venera.

The project would include a parking area accommodating around 150 cars, along with the installation of a filtration system to mitigate emissions from traffic pollution.

In 2021, then environment minister Aaron Farrugia said geotechnical studies on the project were still ongoing, despite Times of Malta reporting that no planning applications had been submitted for the project. 

In 2022, Environment Minister Miriam Dalli said the original €20 million project, would actually cost €35 million.

Originally, it was planned for completion within three or four years, yet five years on, there is still no indication of when the project will kick-off. 

Zrinzo Azzopardi said he was informed that a "number" of studies for the project have taken place, yet failed to provide any update on the project.

"What I can say is that the government's track record shows that what we promise, we provide."

Transport shadow minister Adrian Delia also asked the minister for an update on the project.

Zrinzo Azzopardi once again failed to provide any timeline for the project instead pointing to opposition promises being "left on the shelf" when they were in government more than a decade ago.

"I will give you peace of mind, that we will... continue to make radical changes to improve the lives of the people and different localities."