Most Marsascala residents think ferry to Valletta is a good idea - Marmara poll
59 per cent back idea, with 24 per cent against and 17 undecided
The majority of Marsascala residents believe that having a ferry that goes directly to the capital city is a good idea, a survey revealed on Friday.
The survey, carried out by statistician Vincent Marmara, interviewed 600 residents from Marsascala. He said that it had a four per cent margin of error.
The results showed that 59 per cent believe it to be a good idea, 24 per cent said they do not agree, and 17 per cent were indecisive.
Over the past few months, residents and activists raised concerns about the environmental impact of this new ferry.
The information was revealed during the announcement of the €18 million Marsascala regeneration project that plans on embellishing 1.5 kilometres of the promenade – from the parish church to the abandoned Jerm Palace Hotel – as well as constructing a ferry terminal that will take passengers to Valletta.
Works will also include rebuilding the slipway and renovating the playground.
When asked about the disadvantages of the project, the results of the survey showed that 22 per cent were concerned about the bad weather, while 16 per cent said it would ruin the bay and the sea.
Meanwhile, 73 per cent of all respondents, whether they agree or not with the project, said that they would make use of the ferry. The rest either said they would not, or they were indecisive.
“Marsascala does not deserve an unkept, dirty promenade. Now we have the chance to give Marsascala what it deserves,” Transport Minister Chris Bonett said at the inauguration.
22,000 fewer car trips a year, Minister says
When responding to environmental concerns, Bonett claimed that the ferry from Marsascala to Valletta will reduce 22,000 car trips a year, also amounting to 76,700 litres of fuel.
He further said that the ferry will be hybrid, and when it enters the terminal, it will approach at almost 0 knots.
For the people worried about the bad weather, he referred to the handful of times the fast ferry from Valletta to Gozo has been cancelled.
The minister also addressed concerns that swim zones will be affected, but he ensured that this project will not affect any swim zones in the area.
Last month, IM began geotechnical studies to identify the best location for a new ferry service.