How can we expand our economy and at the same time ensure that part of the Maltese Islands (Gozo) remains unspoilt by an excessive amount of infrastructure?

One way is to build a tunnel, while retaining the ferry service for the leisure market.

A tunnel will make a huge difference to travellers between the two islands. It might take an hour-and-a-half, or even two, to reach the airport, but the trip could be made at any time of the day, so the hotel industry in this part of the island can be accommodated with no transport restrictions.

Regarding the feasibility of a tunnel, Iceland built the Hvalfjörður Tunnel in 1998 (funded by private investors). It is over five km long (roughly the same distance as that between Malta and Gozo) and it was estimated that toll charges would repay the initial investors within 20 years of its opening. However, the high level of traffic and demand has proved otherwise and, in fact, the operators are now thinking of building a second tunnel alongside the old one, as traffic is reaching the limit mandated by EU regulations (Iceland has applied for EU membership) of 10,000 vehicles a day.

I would say that one way in which our economy can expand is by making the two islands more accessible to each other.

This would mean that Gozo’s natural beauty can be more exposed (the number of tourists in search of an immaculate island is on the increase) and at the same time would assist the farming industry with the sale of its produce. It can also work both ways for the workers from both islands.

One issue remains indeed the ferry service, so one has to study an alternative strategy for the existing company and its future operations. One of the options would be for it to take over the operation of the tunnel itself.

Martin Frendo

HAMRUN