Commenting on yet more useless road building in Gozo, ADPD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said: “ADPD condemns in absolute terms the latest assault on our countryside. This time, the attack targets 10,693 square metres of agricultural land in Gozo and hundreds of trees for yet another unnecessary road widening project.”
“Unless drastic action and a change in the mind-set of those taking decisions is made, however unlikely, the country will continue to lose what little precious land it has left for the sake of profit for the few, for short-term political ambitions. Farmers will continue to be ignored and their land destroyed on the altar of greed.”
“The hollowness of government promises on the environment and quality of life ring as loudly as ever. The gluttons feasting on our quality of life will never have enough. The Rabat-Marsalforn project, the threat against agricultural land in Qormi, the Central-Link and every field and open space destroyed to serve the fictional notion of ‘solving traffic problems’ will only be another step down a long and hungry road to nowhere. It is time for reform and for action.”
ADPD Secretary General, Ralph Cassar said: “Our proposals include first of all, that government, Infrastructure Malta’s Frederick Azzopardi and Ian Borg stop ignoring their own policies set out in the Transport Masterplan. Government has missed the targets set out in its own policies. It continues to pursue a 1960 and 70s mind-set, that is adding more roads and flyovers instead of pursuing today’s best-practices. A Bus Rapid Transit system is a must, together with other measures such as massive pedestrianisation programmes and safe and proper bicycle routes connecting all Malta and Gozo. It is indeed laughable that the Minister for Tourism Clayton Bartolo, is touting Malta as a cycling destination, when the cyclists’ organisation points out the lack of proper safety measures and safe routes on our roads, including the new ones, which space is given over completely to cars. For government the only form of commuting worth encouraging is that using cars. Maybe Clayton Bartolo should have a good word with Ian Borg.”
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Il-qerda ta’ Għawdex tkompli
F’kummenti fuq aktar bini ta’ toroq għal xejn f’Għawdex, iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD Carmel Cacopardo qal: ”ADPD jikkundanna l-qerda ta’ aktar kampanja għal bini ta’ toroq inutilment. Mal-10,693 metri kwadri ta’ art agrikola u mijiet ta’ siġar se jinqerdu minħabba l-fissazzjoni tal-Gvern li jwessa’ t-toroq bla bżonn.”
“Jekk ma tittieħidx azzjoni immedjata, u jekk ma tinbidilx il-mentalità ta’ min qed jieħu dawn id-deċiżjonijiet, mhux għax hemm xi tama li dawn in-nies jaraw id-dawl, se nkomplu nitilfu aktar u aktar kampanja u l-bdiewa se jibqgħu jitgħaffġu. Dan l-isfreġju kollu qed isir biex igawdu finanzjarjament il-ftit u biex il-Ministri jiskurjaw xi punti politiċi fl-immedjat.”
“Dan l-attakk fuq Għawdex u fuq Malta jkomplu jikkonfermaw kemm il-kliem tal-Gvern dwar l-ambjent u l-kwalità tal-ħajja huwa kliem fieragħ. Il-proġett ta’ Rabat-Marsalforn, l-isfeġju f’Ħal Qormi u l-qerda li ġab miegħu l-proġett Central Link suppost kellho iservu biex isolvu l-problema tat-traffiku. Din hija kollha fantażija tal-Gvern, għax it-traffiku jonqos billi appuntu tnaqqas l-bżonn tal-ivjappar u n-numru ta’ karozzi fit-toroq.”
Is-Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD Ralph Cassar qal: “Il-proposti tagħna dwar it-trasport huma ċari. L-ewwel pass kellu jkun li l-Gvern jattwa il-Masterplan dwar it-trasport tiegħu stess. Huwa ta’ għajb li jintefqu daqstant flejjes biex isir pjan dwar it-trasport għal wiċċ l-Unjoni Ewropea imbagħad dal-pjan jiġi injorat mill-Gvern stess. Il-Gvern għadu mwaħħal fis-sittinijiet u s-sebgħinijiet fejn tidħol politika dwar it-trasport. Għandna bżonn sistema ta’ Bus Rapid Transit malajr kemm jista’ jkun. Għandna bżonn insalvaw il-bliet u l-irħula tagħna permezz ta’ skemi kbar ta’ pedestrijanizazzjoni. Għandna bżonn rotot sura u sikuri għar-roti madwar Malta u Għawdex kollha. Dan l-aħħar il-Ministru għat-Turiżmu Clayton Bartolo qal li Malta għandha ssir destinazzjoni għaċ-ċiklisti. Ma nafx jekk il-Ministru kienx qed jiċċajta għax l-organizazzjoni ta’ min juża r-roti ilhom jiġbdu l-attenzjoni tal-Gvern dwar il-perikli fit-toroq Maltin u dwar il-fatt li l-Gvern jinteressah biss li jagħti aktar u aktar spazju lill-karozzi għas-skapitu ta’ mezzi aktar nodfa ta’ trasport. Nissuġġerixxi li Clayton Bartolo jara kif jkellem lil Ian Borg, forsi jilluminah ftit dwar is-sitwazzjoni xejn sabiħa fit-toroq ta’ pajjiżna.”
