We refer to the article ‘GRTU objects to fresh pedestrianisation plans proposed by Naxxar local council’ (Noel Grima, TMID, 9 August)

The Naxxar local council would like to clarify that no fresh drawings were presented to Mepa as quoted by GRTU. The correspondence sent to Mepa was in reply to a request by Mepa to clarify a number of items on the original plans. In view of this the clarification informs Mepa that:

• Loss of parking around the church area would be compensated by a re-arrangement of parking space in Labour Avenue, and which would also serve as a traffic calming measure; in fact it is being proposed that the angle of the parking bays is changed from parallel to fish-bone (45°) which will considerably increase the number of parking allocation. Thus the number of parking bays that will decrease from around the church will be made up by the new parking bays created on Labour Avenue. One must also mention that not more than 200m away from the proposed pedestrian area there is a parking area which takes an extra 45 cars together with another extremely big parking area on the other side which used to be used as the Trade Fair parking.

• There will also be traffic calming measures around the church area and which will consist of adequate signage and warning signs, speed bumps and texture/coloured paving within the pedestrian priority area;

• Any existing vegetation and/or trees will be retained and incorporated within the design.

May I point out that it is the Naxxar local council’s intention to increase the trade in our locality and thus we would never take any decisions to harm businesses. If at all, we would like to see more retail outlets in the area and we are more than sure that the measure that the council is proposing would greatly help rather than harm these business concerns.

Worldwide over, shop owners generally oppose pedestrian areas but time always shows that they are proven wrongly and that people are more attracted to areas where they can feel safe and can walk calmly around without the hindrance of vehicular movement, exhaust and noise pollution.

■ Paul Gatt

Executive Secretary

Naxxar local council