Recently we had the car free day and the ministry responsible relayed the message to us that where we can, we should share the same car to save on fuel and also to protect the environment.

Now we hear that another ministry is suggesting the closure of Bisazza Street in Sliema for a pedestrian zone. If this were done, the vehicles would have to take a longer route from Tower Road near the Chalet, via Qui-si-sana and Tigne Sea Front to reach the The Strand. This is an additional journey of approximately one kilometre.

Now, if we take an average of 5,000 cars using this route daily, and if we take the average consumption per car of one litre of fuel every seven kilometres, this will result in an additional consumption of over a quarter million litres of fuel each year.

Do not worry about the cost: the drivers will pay for the additional fuel. Now, with all this extra burning of fuel, what about the protection of the environment and extra pollution?

The ministry which some weeks ago asked us to conserve fuel to protect the environment from pollution, and asked us to share the use of a car, has kept quiet on this point.

While on the subject of fuel conservation, it is a few years now since cars driving along Triq il-Qasam in Swieqi heading for San Gwann through the valley were forced to detour through Triq is-Sidra and Triq is-Swieqi, increasing their journey by over one kilometre. Why? Because there is a stretch of road of about 100 metres that needs to be widened by only a couple of metres – and this was never done.

I am sure that the country would have saved more in the balance of payments for the extra fuel consumed than for cost the widening of this stretch of road.

I would like to see action being taken by the authorities to implement measures to practice what they preach and not implement measures which have the opposite effect.

Vincent Mercieca

San Gwann