It was good to hear Parliamentary Secretary for Lands Deborah Schembri speak about the closure and removal of kiosks just outside City Gate.

Over the years, the haphazard look that these kiosks gave to the entrance to the capital city deteriorated, giving Valletta a shabby appearance right from the start to visitors approaching the city via the main entrance.

We may have got used to it, and looked away, or simply ignored the situation. But tourists who were making it into Valletta for the first time must have not liked it very much.

The situation was made worse once the new City Gate was built and completed in this decade, coupled with the majestic new Parliament building just inside the entrance, with those splendid Spanish steps on each side.

As we wrote in our leader last Saturday, it is therefore very positive for the government to have embarked on a continuation of the Valletta City Gate project, which now includes the renovation of the Tritons Fountain as well as a general overhaul of its perimeter.

Those kiosks – especially the mobile ones that kept sprouting from one week to the next, at times even creating inconvenience by literally blocking the open space – will now make way to a more organised set-up, which Dr Schembri promised will be ready by the end of this year.

At least we now know that something is being done to give the area a much better appearance. Let us hope that the designs of the kiosks as well as their arrangement will be well thought out. We all know the controversy that emerged on the monti stalls some time ago. We believe that the government has learnt the lesson and will not make the same mistakes.

We understand that the decision taken by the government must have irked the owners of the kiosks, but it was something that needed to be done. If anything, it took much longer than necessary. The fact that these owners will have the right of first refusal goes a long way to explain the government’s concern for their well-being.

But, at the end of the day, a more modern look for the area will be of benefit to the operators of the new kiosks. As they are now, they are not attractive at all. A more organised set-up will ultimately lead to more custom for them.

Lastly, we do hope that once the new system is in place, there will be strict adherence to the rules and regulations. It would be a pity of such an effort will go wasted and that, once the V18 events are over, the situation would be allowed to deteriorate once again.