Letters to the editor – August 15, 2025

Floriana pedestrian platform project

Noel Galea Bason of Floriana writes:

I attended the public consultation meeting held ‘Taħt il-Loġoġ’ to debate the latest Project Green proposal for St Anne Street and the loġoġ (arches).

The project’s main proposal is an absolute non-starter. It is being proposed that one of the Valletta bound lanes be closed for the length of three blocks and platforms installed instead.

To start with, these elevated metal structures clash significantly with the majestic architecture of this unique street reconstructed after WWII and penned by none other than Dom Mintoff, an architect by profession. The Project Green representative went to great lengths to laud the ‘great’ benefits of these contraptions to, of all people, the residents.

A digital render of the platforms, as well as the restored facades and arches. Photo: Project Green

The facts are that the volume and load of traffic going into Floriana and Valletta won’t be diminishing any time soon and, closing this lane would exacerbate traffic congestion significantly, especially during peak hours.

I mentioned the non-infrequent occasions when public transport buses have to use this least used (according to her) lane when Triq il-Mall is closed for days because of concerts. Any resident or commuter will tell you that, on those days, all three lanes are full of barely moving vehicles but I assure her that traffic congestion is not limited to those particular days.

Can you imagine the same volume of vehicles trying to make progress through two lanes instead of three?

What a nice experience it would be to have a cappuccino and toast together with a very generous dose of carbon monoxide fumes because these platforms will also be bringing patrons so much closer to the vehicles themselves and, here, we cannot underestimate also the risk of crashes. 

The representative was constantly attempting to quash my argument by stating that the traffic impact assessment was still in the pipeline. I’m sorry but impact assessments can be tweaked to accommodate whatever the applicant wishes to do.

Another thing which the nicely prepared computer-generated images omitted to show, or, perhaps, weren’t even thought of, are the inevitable awnings, canopies etc. necessary to protect the hapless exhaust intoxicated patrons from the sun, rain and pigeon droppings. 

I cringe when I imagine these plastic canopied establishments on stilts à la Sliema in such a beautiful street as they would certainly cheapen and ruin the area.

The solution is there and is so simple. Bring on the proposed proper restoration of the loġoġ themselves. The people and the local council of Floriana have been waiting for this upgrade for decades but, so far, had to settle for the occasional textured paint job slapped onto dirty walls. If this is done properly, and I mean with hardstone cladding and restored flooring, the loġoġ are wide enough to accommodate a reasonable amount of tables for catering and entertainment establishments exploiting the already available, designed in protection from the elements.

This would immediately upgrade the area to the high standards we have all been waiting for bringing in high-end businesses etc. Go ahead, then, restore the loġoġ but, please, ditch the horrible platforms… it’s such a horrible idea and you know it.