Birkirkara, from a drive-through locality and a passage for storm water should be transformed into an accessible and people friendly town. AD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo was speaking in Pjazza Santa Liena in Birkirkara. He said that traffic, flooding, accessibility and good governance are among the main challenges facing the Birkirkara Local Council.

Birkirkara is the largest locality in Malta. Traffic congestion on roads in heart of Birkirkara affect the air quality badly, maybe more than other localities. Storm water from neighbouring localities also floods parts of Birkirkara.

Birkirkara will surely be one of the places which could benefit the most if the National Strategy on Transport is implemented. The strategy calls for the reduction of short distance trips by car (less than 15 minute trips) and a shift to bicycles and public transport. Birkirkara need not continue to be a drive-through locality in the centre of the country. More streets in Birkirkara should be returned to the people through pedestrianisation. This is a huge opportunity to develop a sense of community that connects the locality.

Birkirkara still faces floods whenever it rains. Governments have repeatedly sought to address the effect but have done little on the causes of flooding. Millions of litres of good water are lost because in the past fifty years ors o the requirement to have wells with every building has not been enforced. Birkirkara is the victim of incompetent public administration over the years which ignored the responsibility to see that each house is equipped with a well of adequate size.

Birkirkara requires roads and pavements which are accessible to everyone. Local councils, including that of Birkirkara, should be at the forefront to encourage the government to divert some of the € 700 million to reconstruct roads to reconstruct accessible and suitably sized pavements and pedestrian walkways. Local Councils should also ensure that pavements are free from obstacles that often compel residents, particularly the most vulnerable to walk on dangerous roads instead. For councillors on behalf of AD, accessibility is a priority.

The Birkirkara Local Council also needs a dose of good governance. The National Auditor Office reports that although council finances are today better than they were some years ago, the financial situation has still not reached the levels required by good administration.Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party will participate in the Birkirkara Local Council election to contribute to make Birkirkara a better place. Anna Azzopardi, who is also AD’s Deputy Secretary General is AD’s candidate for Birkirkara.

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B’Kara: mhux iktar passaġġ għall-karozzi iżda belt ħajja u aċċessibli

B’Kara m’għandhiex tibqa’ passaġġ għall-karozzi u l-ilma tax-xita iżda għandha tkun trasformata f’belt ħajja li tirrispetta lil niesha. Dan qalu Carmel Cacopardo Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika waqt konferenza stampa f’B’Kara, f’Pjazza Santa Liena. It-traffiku, l-għargħar, l-aċċessibilità u l-governanza tajba huma fost l-isfidi ewlenin li jrid jiffaċċa l-Kunsill Lokali ta’ B’Kara.

Birkirkara li hi l-ikbar lokalità f’Malta hi ukoll lokalità passaġġa. Il-konġestjoni tat-traffiku f’toroq li ma jistgħux jitwessgħu teffettwa l-kwalità tal-arja iktar milli jiġri f’lokalitajiet oħra. Minn ġo B’Kara jgħaddi ukoll ilma tax-xita fi kwantitajiet kbar, ġejjin minn lokalitajiet ġirien.

B’Kara żgur tkun waħda mill-lokalitajiet li jistgħu jibbenefikaw l-iktar meta tkun implimentata l-istrateġija Nazzjonali dwar it-Trasport biex jonqsu l-karozzi mit-toroq u b’mod partikolari biex flok vjaġġi għal distanzi qosra bil-karozza (ta’ inqas minn ħmistax-il minuta) nimxu inkella nagħmlu użu minn rota jew mit-transport pubbliku. B’Kara m’għandhiex għalfejn tibqa’ l-passaġġ għat-traffiku fiċ-ċentru tal-pajjiż. It-toroq ta’ B’Kara għandhom jitgawdew mill-Karkariżi, b’iżjed toroq fejn ma jkunx permissibli li tuża l-karozzi. Il-kunsill lokali ta’ B’Kara għandu jaħdem biex it-toroq jingħataw lura lin-nies ħalli fihom u permezz tagħhom tingħata l-opportunità biex ikun żviluppat mill-ġdid sens ta’ komunità li jgħaqqad il-lokalità.

B’Kara għadha tiffaċċja l-għargħar kull meta jkun hawn ħalba xita, qawwija u mhux. Il-Gvernijiet repetutament fittxew li jindirizzaw l-effett u ftit li xejn  saret ħidma dwar il-kawża ta’ dan kollu. Parti mhux żgħira mill-bini ta’ dan l-aħħar ħamisn sena fiħ nuqqas ta’ bjar (jew bjar ta’ qisien żgħar) bil-konsegwenza li f’kull ħalba xita miljuni ta’ litri ta’ ilma tax-xita jispiċċa fit-toroq ta’ B’Kara flok fil-bjar li suppost inbnew. Dan mhux biss hu ħtija ta’ nuqqas ta’ bjar f’B’Kara imma ukoll fil-lokalitajiet fil-madwar. F’dan is-sens B’Kara hi l-vittma ta’ amministrazzjoni pubblika inkompetenti li tul is-snin injorat ir-responsabbiltà li tara illi kull binja hi mgħammra b’bir ta’ daqs adegwat.

B’Kara teħtieġ toroq u bankini aċċessibli għal kulħadd. Il-Kunsilli Lokali, inkluż dak ta’ B’Kara, għandhom ikunu fuq quddiem biex iħeġġu lill-gvern sabiex mis-€700 miljun li qed jipproġetta bħala nefqa biex jirranġa t-toroq, jitbiddlu ukoll il-bankini. Ħafna minnhom saru biex jaġevolaw il-karozzi fil-garaxxijiet bil-konsegwenza li diversi bankini spiċċaw tlajja u nżul kontinwi b’detriment għal min huwa vulnerabbli. Bl-istess mod, il-Kunsilli Lokali għandhom jaraw li l-bankini ikunu ħielsa minn ostakli li ħafna drabi iġiegħlu lir-residenti, partikolarment dawk l-iktar vulnerabbli jimxu fin-nofs tat-triq. Għal kunsilliera f’isem Alternattiva Demokratika, din hija kwistjoni prijoritarja ta′ aċċessibilità għar-residenti kollha.

Il-Kunsill Lokali ta’ B’Kara għad jonqsu ukoll doża qawwija ta’ governanza tajba. Kif jixhdu r-rapporti tal-uffiċċju Nazzjonali tal-Awditur għalkemm il-finanzi tal-kunsill illum huma f’kundizzjoni aħjar milli kienu xi snin ilu, xorta għadhom ma laħqux il-livell li jixhdu amministrazzjoni tajba.

Alternattiva Demokratika ser tipparteċipa f’dawn l-elezzjonijiet biex tagħti sehemha ħalli B’Kara timxi ‘l quddiem u jkollha Kunsill Lokali li jixirqilha.  Il-kandidat ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika għall-Kunsill ta’ B’Kara se tkun Anna Azzopardi, Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ AD.