The approval of the plans to rebuild the lift linking the seashore in Grand Harbour to the centre of the capital city is welcome news. After the initial plans were modified to enable the structure to blend better with the bastions and the rest of the surroundings, the Mepa board last Thursday gave the green light for the project.

Although the number of passenger cars has been reduced from three to two and, as a result, the capacity of the lift was brought down from 1,000 passengers per hour to 800 per hour, it should still serve its purpose well.

The project forms part of the government’s plans to improve accessibility to Valletta. With the cruise liner industry growing at a fast pace, there was a requirement for a better access for them to be able to visit central Valletta.

As things stand now, tourists disembarking in Grand Harbour need to either take a taxi to drive them up Crucifix Hill towards Valletta, or else go there on foot. With the building of the lift, they now have another option which, apart from being a cheaper means of transport, will also offer them a breathtaking view of Grand Harbour.

The older generations will remember the old lift which used to stand between Lascaris and the Upper Barrakka. The operations were started in 1905 with two passenger cars each taking 12 people. The operations were stopped in 1972 but it took several other years for the structure to be dismantled. Quickly, it turned into an eyesore until it was pulled down because, without any maintenance, it had become dangerous. Soon, a modern structure will replace it and restore the connection between the lower and upper part of Valletta.

The government is investing heavily in our capital city. And so it should, given that for many years it has been neglected. Let us not forget that Valletta, although unlike other capital cities in Europe provides very few beds for visiting tourists, is the place that is visited most by people arriving from abroad.

Apart from the construction of the lift, the government has also embarked on an even bigger mission, that of the rebuilding of City Gate, together with the rehabilitation of the old Opera House ruins and the building of a new parliamentary building on what is now Freedom Square. After so much controversy, the initial work has started and we will soon start seeing the physical changes that are planned.

The refurbishment of St George’s Square, as well as the restoration of the facades of the Palace and the Auberge de Castille, are other projects that have served or will serve to give Valletta a new image, one that it deserves as a city built by gentlemen for gentlemen.

Let us then not forget that there are other plans, such as the restoration of Fort St Elmo, that are aimed to make Valletta a more attractive place for tourists and, why not, also for the Maltese.

It is hoped that the projects that are planned will cause as little disruption as possible and that they are finished in the least possible time too. Too often we have had situations when deadlines are not met and, when this happens in the capital city, the negative impact that this has is even worse.