The Gozo Tourism Association (GTA) has complained about the fact that the only southbound road in Għadira, connecting Ċirkewwa with the rest of the mainland, is being constructed with a single traffic lane.

In a statement on Friday, the organisation pointed that that Gozo as a touristic island destination depended on constant, reliable and unhindered connectivity.

In March, Infrastructure Malta CEO Ivan Falzon told Times of Malta that a single southbound lane along Għadira Bay should not impact traffic from Gozo and is considered a “balance between safety and convenience”.

But the GTA insisted that connectivity to Ċirkewwa is already hampered as the northbound road was also a single traffic lane, creating traffic chaos for access to the ferry terminal each time Gozo experienced a busy weekend.

The association asked why the same mistake was being repeated on the new Għadira road.

“Does this mean that planners did not learn from the aforementioned mistake,” it asked.

It called on the authorities to seriously consider the traffic implications a single lane road will cause.

The authorities had to take into account not only the commuting needs of all Gozitans, especially employees, but also the timely transfers of the foreign tourists to the airport. 

It hoped common sense will prevail.

The decision was also earlier criticised by the Nationalist Party, which said that the single lane road will create another obstacle for Gozitan workers crossing to Malta while increasing the already existing traffic on Maltese roads.

Although improvements to the country’s infrastructure were always welcome, this had to be planned in a way to serve the people, it said.

The PN asked what would happen if the lane had to close for any reason. It also asked whether consultation about the project had been carried out.