Racing on the bypass

It is Sunday morning, 10.20, November 21. I am working in a room whose window overlooks the Birkirkara bypass. The number of cars on the road is minimal – no university, not the time for hospital visits, no schools open…

Sunday should give the locals a breather and some peace and quiet. Is it like that? No, on Sunday mornings, from the early hours, the Birkirkara bypass is taken over by racing motorcyclists who enjoy going up and down the road at breakneck speeds. My heart goes out to the families whose sons and daughters are killed through their own recklessness.

It is time to install another speed camera on the lower part of this much used roadway. Or else, send a few traffic policemen to stop the habit.

And, while we are it, why is this road and others like it not closed to regular traffic and opened just to bicycles on a Sunday morning, as happens in some other countries?

Now, that would be a step forward.

Maria Pace – Birkirkara

Gozo’s destruction

John Consiglio’s letter (November 16) jolted me early from bed blessing my luck as, at my age, I had the opportunity to relish the Gżira tat-Tliet Għoljiet as rightly mentioned in the letter.

Maybe Consiglio is missing one important issue. The present government, with all its foresight, envisaged that Malta lacks research in several areas. So they started a research project on migration of birds during bird trapping season. In Gozo, we are far more open minded, so we are doing research on high buildings and the respective sha­dows. These projects are going on at Marsalforn and Xlendi. Besides, we have another project at It-Tokk and St Francis Square regarding random walking of pedestrians and car suspension wear and tear and, last but not least, we have the ongoing research on the proposed Gozo tunnel.

What is really shameful is that I have never (I stand to be corrected) read or heard any comment regarding this shameful destruction of Gozo from ministers, MPs, the Gozo Regional Development Authority, the Gozo Business Chamber or the Gozo Tourism Association.

I may humbly suggest that, for the sake of those generations following us, we remind them who was an accomplice in the rape of our unique Gozo by having marble or brass plaques listing the members of the Planning Authority who approved these irreversible monstrosities.

Emmanuel Galea – Victoria

Beyond saturation point

Photo: Shutterstock.comPhoto: Shutterstock.com

John Consiglio is right to lament the rape of the “formerly Gżira tat-Tliet Għoljiet”. However, as early as 2003, in my anthology of poems Xehwat, I had published a poem Ix-Xorti tat-Tewmin (The Destiny of the Twins) – an apt comparison between Qolla l-Bajda and Qolla s-Safra, the latter being depicted jutting out its yellowish head over a jungle of pigeon-coop monotonies, in the picture on page 5 (November 13) and reproduced with Consiglio’s correspondence on November 16.

That poem of 2003 describes how the Qolla s-Safra had lowered its head under the siege of aluminium and concrete; while the Qolla l-Bajda, which previously used to indulge in contemplation with a group of Franciscan nuns attired in black and white like “pingwini”, was then given the opportunity to admire bathers in brave “bikini”.

Alas! The siege of concrete has, since 2003, uninterruptedly continued and is still being carried on in earnest at an unprecedented rate. We are indeed beyond saturation point.

Joseph Psaila – Victoria

Settling Melita accounts

I have been trying for over two months to settle my account with Melita. I have had long ‘chats’ with the company, which ended in promises of bills. I have even spoken to a real human being who promised an immediate response.

In desperation, I attempted to venture onto the website via the link offered on my phone. I was greeted with ‘This page is unavailable’.

Perhaps a public airing in the press of my difficulty will spur them into action.

Candida Hasselman Dalby-Ball – Sliema

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