Useless road-widening project in Luqa

I refer to the projected widening roadworks at Node WA23 in Triq il-Kunsill tal-Ewropa, Luqa, including an underpass for traffic westbound towards Qormi and the construction of a new cycle lane.

As declared by Infrastructure Malta on June 5 last year “the widening is in general due to the addition of a lane from Triq il-Kunsill tal-Ewropa to Vjal l-Avjazzjoni, increase in width due to the incorporation of the underpass (which is wider than a standard 3.5-metre lane) and the addition of a cycle lane”.

Regarding the underpass, since April 12, traffic bound to the airport is being diverted through Gudja Road (this had already been significantly widened years ago but grossly underutilised as it could easily accommodate airport and other traffic and, as suggested earlier, relieve the traffic from Triq Kunsill tal-Ewropa, and save us residents form noise, light and exhaust pollution). Only traffic to Qormi and Luqa is presently being allowed through Triq il-Kunsill tal-Ewropa.

I have since been observing this traffic on a daily/hourly basis and, lo and behold, only minimal traffic trickles through, without reducing speed. At times, the road is literally deserted. This realistic scenario implies that there is effectively no need for the planned underpass, given the low volume of traffic flowing westbound towards Qormi.

Regarding the additional lane to Vjal l-Avjazzjoni, the present adjoining road is already three lanes wide westbound (the road was widened 12 years ago when our land was again expropriated) and traffic flows unhindered.

The real traffic congestion bottleneck is at the Gudja/airport roundabout, where another project is under way to address the problem.

Finally, the imaginary cycle lane, which, as per Infrastructure Malta, is to “encourage alternative means of transport”, would start at Triq Il-Gudja. The problem is how the cyclists will reach Triq Il-Gudja to then join the new cycle lane. A look at the short Marsa cycle lanes, recently nicely painted in green, gives a good idea: they start haphazardly and lead to nowhere.

Cycling as an alternative means of transport is a non-starter due to, among others, our climate, the undulating terrain, dangerous road crossings and lack of speed calming measures.

In short, the projected widening – yet again- of this 300-metre stretch of road to the detriment of yet more arable land (the easiest option) is not necessary: alternative solutions are available.

The wasteful transformation of the limited arable land, our only green lung at Luqa, into tarmac and concrete is avoidable but requires creative thinking outside the box and on a larger scale (beyond Luqa) for this to be possible.

Infrastructure Malta has the prime responsibility to preserve the limited land available and responsibly leave this heritage to our future generations.

Andrew Costa, also on behalf of the seven families’ heirs of the late William Bondin – Luqa

Vaccinations

Photo: AFP

We are regularly regaled with figures of the numbers who have had the COVID-19 jab, either the first or second dose.

However, we never hear of the number of people eligible for this vaccine who have refused to have it for whatever reason. I wonder what the reason for this omission could be as it lacks full disclosure.

Sandra Vella – Mellieħa

Sliema’s ruin

Houses on Tigné Street, in Sliema have been incessantly turned into six-storey apartments for the last 53 years. In recent years, a blanket law allows two more storeys to be added, this time with no garage spaces allocated.

This is not a wide street. Therefore, this law had made previously sunny homes dependant on electricity for light during the day.

Now the latest ERA-approved project affecting Dragut Street and Tigné Street will just make all these homes  darker and more polluted. Sliema has been ruined, so why should we endure more erosion on the quality of life?

Marguerite Gatt – Sliema

Lacking resources

Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech showed her displeasure at the prosecution services for their lack of ability to present summaries of their reports on current cases being heard. Instead, they dumped boxes full of documents on her lap.

Are the police being starved of resources as happened previously with the MFSA and the FIAU under Joseph Muscat’s premiership?

Could the same problem be happening at ARMS Ltd? I wrote to them over two years ago, informing them that my wife had died but I am still receiving bills for ‘two residents’.

Salvu Felice Pace – Għasri

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