What green travel plans?

The article ‘A busy tunnel under her home and a hotel in her backyard’ (February 24) stated that there was a green travel plan.

As a commuting cyclist, the statement that such a green travel plan will address potential traffic concerns is a load of bikewash. Especially if it means cyclists and scooter riders will be sharing space on Triq Qui-Si-Sana with an extra 3,000 cars. Even more so if traffic is squeezed off Triq Hughes Hallet and onto Triq Sant’ Antnin, which is the only legal and somewhat riskier link (due to increased junctions, exposure and inclines) from Tower Road to The Strand for bicycles and, indeed, efootscooters.

A ‘landlocked’ development site as seen from the Townsquare seafront apartments. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

All the developer seems to promise is a “dedicated taxi and environment-friendly mobility entrance” for his own development. Somewhat redundant, with rental scooters soon to be a thing of the past and, certainly, not a proactive, risk assessed approach to traffic management it might claim.

Importantly, and in common with most green travel plans, these do not keep up with traffic management changes. The likelihood is that, more no-entries, larger junctions and heavier trafficked roads have already been added. This negatively affects the network connectivity, central to any green travel plan. Meaning it is unlikely it is worth the paper it is written on.

Such developers need to stop leaning on green travel plans, the State has failed to commit to, protect or maintain.

Jim Wightman – St Julian’s

Thinking tools for the young

The appearance of a social statistic in a national newspaper without the sum of its total figures/factors having been broken down for complete consideration would, in some ways, be misleading. It might intellectually be hurting youth.

“Referring to ethical premises without defining them won’t do justice, particularly to the younger newer generation,” as Madam Justice Rosemarie E. Aquilina had kindly remarked in an interview while visiting Malta.

Youth enjoy a kind of education and, over the years, grow to be personally authentic. They would equip themselves with the academic tools to evaluate any political issue while preparing themselves for life.

The antiquated way of being politically conditioned was done away by 1970 when university education became free.

In the 1990s, a veritable revolution had taken place when the student-worker/worker-student system of academic studies had mercifully been scrapped. The MCAST/polytechnic reappeared. The stipend system provided financial independence to the student and their family.

The schooling rearrangement and its implementation nationwide had provided the thinking tools for the young in general to start thinking for themselves.

Francis Attard – Marsa