A submerged tunnel, a causeway or a bridge between Malta and Gozo is not an immediate priority, when there are more urgent matters that need to be tackled before considering any of these three options.

Addressing the problems on our roads in Malta is by far more important when traffic has increased considerably, thus affecting the entire population. Those crossing between Malta and Gozo still have an uninterrupted shuttle ferry service, so this is not a priority.

It is high time we considered an underground transport network. There was a time – some 17 years ago – when private companies wanted to go in for such an underground (metro) project, when traffic levels were already a big problem on our roads. Today, with almost double the amount of traffic, I would suggest to the authorities that a referendum be held so that the people nation-wide can vote for what they consider is best for them. In Switzerland almost everything, big or small, goes through by referendum.

With an underground system, we could have professors, lecturers and students going to University, children and teachers going to school, people visiting their loved ones in hospital, people going to the airport, ports, beaches, Valletta, Sliema, St Paul’s Bay and Mdina and other places of historical and cultural interest, all reaching their final destination in a reasonably short amount of time, and at the same time reducing considerably the traffic congestion on our roads, the noise and the air pollution, (toxic emissions) and no parking problems for people in residential areas. This would also be an asset to all shop owners in places like Sliema, Valletta, Hamrun and St Paul’s Bay, to give a few examples.

The traffic jams during rush hours have become a nightmare. Waiting for a bus to arrive for at least 30 to 45 minutes, and having an hour-long trip to get from San Gwann to Valletta via Sliema if you’re lucky (as one example) is a nightmare and totally unacceptable and uncalled for these days.

Perhaps the minister responsible for Transport Malta, together with Transport Malta’s chairman and CEO, should consider this underground project, which is most needed in this day and age.

Louis Camilleri