The destruction of arable land to build an unnecessary road from Żabbar to Smart City is unjustified, says ADPD - The Green Party. Building more roads won't solve traffic congestion - it will worsen car dependency. Instead, ADPD proposes using the allocated funds to extend San Klement Park along the Cottonera fortifications.

ADPD said it backs organisations like Moviment Graffiti, Friends of Cottonera Forum, Friends of the Earth Malta, and Azzjoni Tuna Artna Lura, who have all objected to this project.

ADPD Deputy General Secretary Mario Mallia highlighted that the road would destroy over 5,600m² of agricultural land and threaten nearby Grade 1 historical and ecological sites such as the Capuchin convent, Kalkara's Naval Cemetery, the fortifications, and Rinella Valley. He questioned the need for this road, given that traffic to and from Smart City is already well-managed. "This raises concerns about hidden motives behind the project," Mallia said.

Rather than cater to the interests of a few, the funds should be redirected to benefit the wider community. Extending San Klement Park would create much-needed recreational space for families in the south, while also rehabilitating the fortifications, which have suffered from neglect and vandalism.

ADPD Deputy Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo criticised the government's continued prioritisation of car use. The green area along the fortifications, he stressed, should serve the public-not be sacrificed for speculative development.

This road would only benefit private interests and should be scrapped. More importantly, it forms part of a broader issue with the Smart City concession. The original purpose - to create an ICT and media hub-has been abandoned in favour of luxury residential development. Rather than reclaim unused land, the government has enabled further speculative use of public assets.

ADPD is calling for transparency: the government must disclose how the Smart City land concession was altered to benefit private developers. "The deception and manipulation behind this deal surpass even that of Manoel Island," concluded Cacopardo.