Development impinging on Gozo’s delight

I have friends living in Xagħra, who, a few years ago, persuaded me to visit Gozo and found me a delightful place to stay in Marsalforn. I have been a regular visitor during our winters since and was fortunate to make my last visit in February 2020, just before our lockdown.

It was on that visit that I learned the seriousness of the COVID virus as it was already rampant in Italy at the time and residents were taking sensible precautions as were Ryanair with whom I had flown from Bristol in the UK. At the same time, I bought a cap with ‘Gozo – Heart of the Mediterranean’ emblazoned on it.

It is with great sadness that I learn of the proposed road development to Marsalforn. One of the delights of my stays was to walk up the valley each morning and to then come back to one of the small seafront cafés for coffee and a pastry. I am an agriculturalist and I was also able to admire the crop farming in which farmers were way ahead of ours in the UK, where spring begins much later.

In our current heatwave, I am proudly wearing my Gozo cap. However, if I find that development on Gozo proceeds as planned, I shall throw away this cap, most likely not come again and discourage my friends from visiting as well.

Having had a privileged working career in many countries around the world, I am now a firm believer in supporting the younger generation in their efforts to combat the issue.

We have just had the ‘Young Christian Climate Network’ that organised the walk from the G7 meeting in Cornwall (which took place last month) to COP26 in Glasgow through Bristol last week.

Now is the chance for Gozo to reduce the number of cars coming on to the island and for tourists to make better use of the excellent public transport system which I used during my visit and find easy to use. What an example that would set for COP26!

Tim Roberts – Bath, UK

Thanks… but

A regenerated Wied Fulija. Photo: Jason Borg/DOIA regenerated Wied Fulija. Photo: Jason Borg/DOI

I congratulate hardworking minister Aaron Farrugia for his environmental efforts (July 20). The repristination of long-abandoned areas is indeed a fine service.

But the fact also remains that there is a vast component of our national community (old and sick people, disabled persons and others) who, for various reasons, can never hope to visit and enjoy redone places like Wied Fulija, Natura sites, public gardens, etc.

These people are confined to their homes and have to continue to put up with all that the builders and contractors keep throwing at them. Does he or does he not accept that our quality of life will only start to improve when the PA drastically starts reducing the annual number of building permits which it issues and when industry is seriously downsized?

John Consiglio – Birkirkara

Duty tax

I live in the UK. Both my sons purchased air tickets LHR-Malta for their families a few weeks ago.

They had to cancel due to the government of Malta banning passengers with certain vaccine types, unfortunately.

When they phoned the Air Malta customer service to get a refund, they were told they were withholding the airport duty tax which is a substantial amount of money per ticket…

This is most unfair as they were not going to use the airport and it seemed like a rip-off from Air Malta.

This can’t be right as most other airlines refund this tax when cancelling flights

I hope the Air Malta CEO reads this letter and I will be interested to know what he has to say.

This certainly put us off flying with Air Malta again in the future.

Rosemarie Spalding – Woking, UK

There for you 

It’s very good and reassuring to know that Malta has professional organisations to help women in a very confidential manner who are misled and  pressured by the pro-choice lobby, especially Doctors for Choice – the tragic irony – to do abortions.  

Tony Mifsud – Marsascala

Letters to the editor should be sent to editor@timesofmalta.com. Please include your full name, address and ID card number. The editor may disclose personal information to any person or entity seeking legal action on the basis of a published letter. 

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