How can the Malta Transport Authority, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority and the St Julian’s local council permit the placing of huge plant pots, and recently a huge restaurant platform, in the middle of Church Street, St Julian’s?

This has resulted in the complete closure of an essential traffic artery. This street used to facilitate easier access both for vehicles and pedestrians alike - from the Hilton roundabout to Spinola via Spinola road.

These days it takes hours to drive through Spinola Road because of building works, cranes etc making life unbearable, especially for residents. To make matters worse, traffic going out from the Hilton to St George’s Road and wanting to turn left down to St Julian’s now cannot use Church Street to avoid the traffic jams on the Wembley corner going along to Paceville. The result is that vehicles including concrete trucks and tourist buses are compelled to take the long way round through the residential Portomaso road, ending up at the bottom end of Spinola road.

Church Street, now closed by flowerpots half way down, has permanently ended up with parked cars facing these silly pots and completely blocking access even to pedestrians, wheelchairs, pushchairs etc. To get out, these same cars have to reverse all the way back on to the Portomaso roundabout creating a hazardous traffic congestion especially when they meet cars exiting the garages near these plant pots.

This seems to be another Mepa scandal left over from before the election, and very similar to the Gozo one where Minister Gatt, to his credit, took immediate action. This is an identical case, which also requires Minister Gatt's strong action, especially now that a huge permanent platform to accommodate diners has been erected in the middle of the road, to the detriment of pedestrians and traffic alike.

Anthony Cassar

Swieqi