The current figures in the tourism sector are very encouraging. There is a shift from quantity to quality and, as a country, we must take every opportunity to meet our commitment to this prosperous industry.
Considering the footprint limitation of our islands, preserving our national heritage and our surrounding environment is possibly the only way of securing for a quality tourism industry, a sector which feeds thousands of families. Ensuring it stands the test of time, remains an obligation to future generations and ourselves. In a recent statement, the Prime Minister committed himself when he stated that economy has only forward and reverse buttons, but no pause. Clichés impress, yet tourism, which remains one of the main pillars of our economy whatever economic climate changes happen, is being consistently challenged by competing neighbouring islands like Sicily. The Agritourist industry, which is flourishing and thriving because it has been given its due recognition; it has been identified as a touristic product wanted by many people seeking to immerse themselves in the quality of local products and a traditional way of life.
Sicily, an island with limited resources like Malta, realized that agriculture and its open spaces would provide its visitors with an experience not easily accessible in their own countries. This competition is one excellent reason why a holistic solution must be identified for transportation reform in Malta and Gozo. The Transport reform document published by this same government in 2016 acknowledges that unless this country works on reducing the number of private vehicles on the road, the degenerative impact on our economy will be huge. Realising that our tourism sector will be one of the primary sectors to lose out is a no brainer.
Widening roads, consuming large vast of green areas, facilitating private car use and discouraging people from seeking alternative ways to travel between point A and point B are not addressing the underlying cause of the problem but treating the symptoms with devastating consequences. The counterproductive measures being taken at the moment by this Transport ministry are so short sighted that their implementation will actually lead to the inevitable situation that will see the incoming tourism sector suffer as the foreign outgoing destination management companies seek alternative destinations which offer greener, more ecologically friendly and less polluted locations.
In a recent parliamentary debate, Minister for the Environment Jose Herrera admitted that unless the number of vehicles on the roads is reduced, his targets of reducing pollution levels as stipulated by EU , will not be met. The Attard Bypass project, officially referred to as a Central link project, is a strategically important aspect of a long-awaited transport reform which is being considered at the moment.
As AREN, we look at the central link section of the overall road infrastructure as the pivotal segment which could determine the direction this country takes in terms of resolving the transport issues we are facing and the environmental impact such massive projects leave. Indeed, it is a link between the north side (possibly including Gozo) and the south part of our country as it passes through the largest stretch of remaining green land in the entire country. This topological fact carries an immense responsibility and makes it all the more important to ensure that any short-term measures taken to reduce the congestion in the Attard, Balzan and Lija areas leave no permanent environmental impact.
As a nation, our concern for the environment is growing passionately. We are seeking ways to quench our thirst for open spaces, better air quality and lower noise levels. Our hectic life with its busy schedules requires us to take breaks from the busy life which steadily engulfing us.
Unfortunately, our islands do not have the luxury of space which offers families the possibility to move away from the centres to find peace and tranquillity on the outskirts. Walks off the beaten track are becoming more and more challenging to find . Our islands are not connected to mainland Europe which means we are insular and our movements are restricted restriction. This increases the value of green areas and ODZ land dramatically.
The largest section of the area being targeted by this central link project can be easily considered a gold mine for its topological value, agricultural value and low pollution levels which help make fruits and vegetables virtually toxic free. It is also an integral part of the natural landscaping, the whole north east of Malta has, extending all the way to Mgarr and beyond to Majjistral Park. .
The settings of Attard had been long exploited by many property agents promising tranquillity, pristine green areas, and higher standard of living as their primary selling points. Most iconic villas with large gardens fell victim to this marketing campaign and today only live on in the names of the apartment blocks which replaced them. Attard is no longer recognizable as it was 30 or more years ago.
As the number of residents in Attard grew by the thousands over the last years, the need for traffic management has been listed on the agenda. Residents in all areas of the village started feeling the immense pressure of the traffic passing through on the infrastructure and the huge impact it started having on their health and wellbeing.
Pressure mounted and, as we see today, residents can no longer put up with the levels of noise and pollution.
As AREN, we are extremely concerned about this matter and it is for this reason that we are actively involving ourselves in taking action on preserving our heritage while proposing ways to address the issues this project attempts to tackle. The present proposal simply relocates the problems from one area of Attard to another, shifting pollution issues from one side to the other and introducing pollution to agricultural fields which feed our children and our guests.
The pivotal aspect of Attard’s traffic volumes is the passing through traffic which is intending to reach other areas of the island. This huge volume of traffic is finding its way through Attard, Balzan and Lija, as the current alternative routes are inadequate. This key aspect is being consistently and deliberately ignored for reasons beyond our comprehension.
The project as proposed will see an increase in the volume of cars passing through the roads and the only reasonable conclusion is very much in line with what Minister Herrera himself admitted in Parliament – that a higher number of cars will inevitably increase pollution and not reduce it. The strategy this link project uses is just a dangerous procrastination of the underlying problem which will inevitably have an irreversible impact on the green spaces we have left, leaving us with even less assets when selling Malta as a touristic destination.
National interest is indeed at the heart of many people, who have joined us in this matter. Obliterating more land, shutting doors and ignoring national pleas to save our environment cannot be considered as listening but can only be seen as pique. We sincerely hope that the doors will be re-opened and a reasonable strategy is found for a real long lasting solution which will make us all proud of our country and its management team.
Attard Residents Environment Network – (AREN)