Midi, the developers of the Tigné project, yesterday issued a statement in which they reiterated the position that leaving both Bisazza Street and the Qui-si-Sana seafront routes open to allow motorists a choice of route, would have been the ideal solution to alleviate congestion.

Midi said it neither requested nor put pressure on government or any other authority to pedestrianise Bisazza Street or to reduce parking at The Ferries. On the contrary, Midi stated time and again that the ideal solution would have been to open both Bisazza Street and the Qui-si-Sana seafront routes in order to allow motorists to choose between them, as they did in the past. “This because we have always believed that funnelling all Sliema’s arterial traffic through one single route was bound to cause congestion, whereas splitting it would have resulted in a smoother traffic flow and fewer tailbacks,” said CEO Ben Muscat.

“If the authorities concerned continue to insist on closing Bisazza Street, then steps need to be taken to alleviate the Tigné Seafront traffic flow which is currently choked with a combination of herringbone parking, ‘double-parked’ cars hovering for vacant spaces, an unofficial double-decker sightseeing tour bus terminus and other hindrances which really should have been seen to before the tunnel was opened,” he said.

He continued: “The Point Shopping Mall and Pjazza Tigné were designed to complement and enhance the existing retail product at The Ferries in order to establish Sliema as Malta’s leading shopping destination. We would like to reiterate that, in our view, the shopping experience in Sliema needs to be approached in a more holistic manner and that the two busy retail areas should be viewed by planners as one homogeneous zone.”

A large number of shop owners now have substantial business interests in both of these areas and thousands of shoppers frequent both zones on a regular basis – they deserve nothing less, said Midi in conclusion.