The Mepa board yesterday approved the third application for the Cirkewwa Passenger Terminal hoping, no doubt, that this would be a third time come true success.

Nothing was said as to why the two previous applications, once they were approved, were not implemented, instead of which passengers and commuters have had to suffer years of tramping through a building site.

This time, hopefully, now that the permit has been granted, the tendering process should kick in, said MMA CEO Stanley Portelli, by the beginning of January with the start of work commencing once the contracts have been assigned. The overall design for the terminal has been moved around with some notable changes being made to the previous application.

The main change is that the terminal building has been relocated and moved closer to the ships, roughly midway down the marshalling area. It has also been cut down in size and will now consist of a semi-basement housing plant rooms and toilets, and one floor from the two original floors.

It will also be a centerpiece of alternative energy: Its roof will be covered with a photovoltaic surface and it will also be served by a 15-metre wind turbine. No refueling will be done on site.

The second big change is that ticketing will now be done at the Mgarr end. This will make the marshalling area an open space, and people can now leave their cars and use the bathroom facilities and shelter from the sun in the terminal until the ships come in.

On the other end of the quay, the ships will now berth along side the same quay, on either side, rather than side by side as is done now. From the terminal, much as is the case in Gozo, the foot passengers will pass on to the ships through a raised gangway which will take passengers to the top of the quay and then to the ships.

A small shelter including a sheltered bus stop will be built on the South Quay, the Paradise Bay side, which at long last makes a lot of sense, since this side is only used in inclement weather and was the most exposed of them all.

Parking will increase from the present 107 cars to 166 and to 22 coaches from the present 21.

One preceding application had led to an enforcement notice since the cafeteria on top was built without a permit. Since the whole building will now be pulled down, the enforcement notice has been rendered extinct.

During the discussion by the board, concern was expressed by members regarding the provision of parking spaces. There are many people today who leave their car parked in the fields opposite the hotel and take a rather long walk down to the ships. Will they fit in the new parking dimensions?

The MMA officials present replied they were applying for a terminal, not for parking, and tried to insist that people should use public transport, but later they admitted that in need the marshalling area can be reduced and turned over to parking.

During the coming works, a temporary terminal will be built and used while there will be noise monitoring to avoid disturbing the hotel guests.