Three NGOs - Rota, Moviment Graffitti and Friends of the Earth Malta - on Friday "condemned" the Planning Authority's approval of the Msida Creek Project. 

Plans for the Infrastructure Malta project, which will introduce flyovers to the Msida junction for easier traffic flow, were approved on Thursday. IM’s plans for the area received a radical redesign after initial drawings proved controversial.

On Friday the three organisations said that over the past three years, they had provided in-depth feedback through numerous meetings, articles and actions.

Admitting an improvement was evident in the more recent plans for the area, the NGOs said they could not compare the current with the previous proposals.

"We need to compare the existing scenario with what is currently being proposed. The project still lacks basic connectivity for alternative transport users, including pedestrians, bus users, cyclists and wheelchair users.

"Instead of prioritising active and public transport, the project has fundamentally wrong objectives, inviting more through-traffic by prioritising improved traffic flow and increased parking spaces."

The project, they claimed, went against the government's own plan to create a cycling network in the central region of the island.

"We are against the construction of a flyover in the middle of a residential and urban area. It is a terrible planning decision."

The residents and business communities surrounding Msida Creek would benefit from a high-quality urban environment that allows for recreation and physical activity, they said in a statement.

"Instead of another traffic island, the area could be an attractive place for retail and leisure activities, inviting people to spend time in the area and socialise."