Many would agree that Sliema has been loosing its characteristic “sliem” (peace) since the 1980s with the systematic and progressive demolition of beautiful typical townhouses, only to be replaced by anonymous tall apartment blocks which many agree have deprived Sliema of its once charming looks and character. This so-called development not only destroyed Sliema’s once charming looks but, even worse, more development resulted in much more traffic to and from Sliema, to the extent that air pollution at times exceeds EU safety levels (Environment Protection Directorate Mepa, 2008),.

However, despite the fact that Mepa is well aware that Sliema has been overdeveloped since the early 1990s and is well aware of resultant traffic and air pollution problems, it continues to authorise further development which includes the MIDI, Fort Cambridge and Galaxy mega projects, thus further precipitating Sliema’s serious traffic problems.

Defying sensible town planning logic, Mepa still considers each development project on its own merits, ignoring the cumulative effects of such projects. Moreover, Mepa suggests that traffic problems resulting from these ever mushrooming development projects are to be tackled by other entities such as the Malta Transport Authority (ADT).

ADT on its part is well aware of the Sliema traffic problems but seems powerless as government policy has already been decided and planning approvals have already been given in this respect. It argues that it will not be easy to come up with short-term solutions, given that traffic will definitely increase as a result of the developments taking place in Tigné. For example, there is currently no alternative routing for the heavy traffic (including bus routes) passing through Rue D’Argens, Mrabat Road, Rudolphe Street Sliema (ADT 2007). Ironically ADT did in fact propose some traffic management measures for the area in 2007 and for The Strand; these were however rejected by the Sliema local council and nothing has been done since then, in spite of a second traffic report and traffic management proposals for the area confirming the precarious traffic situation commissioned by developers in 2008.

Maybe “in the long term (sometime in the future), the upgrade of the Kappara junction (EU funds have been allocated) coupled with the construction of the Manoel Island link road and widening of the Strand (no funds allocated for either yet) would result in significant diversion of traffic from residential roads such as Rue D’Argens and Reggie Miller Street onto a fast, high capacity link between Regional Road and Tigné. Parking control (using payment) and public transport promotion (bus priority / better bus services) could also reduce traffic levels but these measures would need political commitment” (ADT, 2007)

While the Sliema local council rejected ADT’s traffic management proposals for Rudolphe Street and the Strand, to its credit it did endorse councillor Debono’s architectural proposal for infrastructural improvement of the Strand area and it has lodged its appeals to the Fort Cambridge Project and the Milner/Howard Street project; however a holistic traffic management plan for Sliema is still sorely lacking.

After having cashed millions of Maltese liri from the MIDI project and the sale of Holiday Inn, the central government seems to have abdicated its responsibilities for the Sliema area and is conspicuous by its silence and by the lack of funding for the arterial roads project mentioned by ADT, but ironically is yet hell-bent on building the controversial and non-essential new Ghadira Road.

This state of affairs is detrimental to Sliema residents’ health and quality of life and therefore adequate coordinated actions need to be taken by all the authorities concerned without any further delay.

Joe Morana

Sliema