Pavements in Gżira have been taken over by business. This is the result of a policy that puts business before the interests of people. In this country the Government brags about being ‘business friendly’ at the expense of people. Accessible and safe infrastructure for people do not feature in Government’s and public authorities policies. AD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo was speaking in Gżira together with Alternattiva Demokratika candidate for the Gżira Local Council, Jamie Mercieca.

“Health and quality of life of residents depends mainly on the quality of the urban environment. Unfortunately both the Planning and Tourism Authorities are not interested in accessible and people friendly urban infrastructure. They are not interested in accessible pavements but allow businesses to take over pavements to the detriment of residents who have difficulties accessing their homes and also create problems for the good functioning of basic services like waste collection.”

AD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo added that apparently the Planning Authority and the Tourism Authority expect that people should walk in the middle of the roads to allow businesses to completely occupy pavements. Loading and unloading bays have been taken over by tables and chairs and dangerous double parking is rife. The way restaurants occupy pavements is unacceptable. Even one accident could mean the death of many people, packed on the pavements along the shore not only Gżira, but also in Sliema and SaintJulians. Accidents such as that in which a Dutch national was killed by a drunk driver in Saint Julians while walking along the promenade are waiting to happen.”

“The Planning Authority should stop endangering people’s lives. Residents have become prisoners of businesses. It is high time that local councils are not only consulted but given an effective and central role in decisions concerning urban infrastructure in their localities. “

“We also feel that access to Manoel Island, the only open space in the area which Parliament took away from people and gave to business, must be addressed. The case of Manoel Island is a case of daylight robbery with the support of both sides of Parliament twenty years ago. AD has been insisting all along that Manoel Island should not be developed and should be become an ecological park, the only Green lung in Gżira and its surrounding localities. There is still one last chance to avoid permanent damage. Our appeal to the Government is that instead of investing the profits from the sale of passports in banks, it should buy back Manoel Island and return it to the country. In this way it will erase the error made by PN and PL in Parliament in 1999.”

Cacopardo concluded by stating that Green is the answer because Greens are always in favour of residents. The protection of the urban environment is essential to defend the quality of life of residents in all our towns and villages.

***

Ir-residenti tal-Gżira priġunieri tan-negozju. Manoel Island gżira ekoloġika

Fil-Ġżira r-residenti lanqas bankini ma baqgħalhom. Dan hu riżultat ta’ politika li tpoġġi lin-negozju qabel l-interessi tan-nies. Pajjiż li hu ‘business friendly’ imma mhux ‘people friendly’. Għax il-Gvern u l-awtoritajiet li jmexxi jiġu jaqgħu u jqumu min-nies u minn infrastruttura urbana aċċessibbli. Carmel Cacopardo qal dan waqt li kien qed jitkellem fil-Gżira flimkien mal-kandidat ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika għall-Kunsill Lokali tal-Gżira, Jamie Mercieca.

Is-saħħa u l-kwalità tal-ħajja tar-residenti prinċipalment tiddependi mill-kwalità tal-ambjent urban. Sfortunatament l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar u l-Awtorità tat-Turiżmu mhux interessati f’dan kif jidher mill-bankini okkupati minn imwejjed u siġġijiet li qed joħlqu diffikultajiet kbar kemm għall-aċċess tar-residenti għal djarhom kif ukoll għal servizzi bażiċi bħall-ġbir tal-iskart.

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ AD Carmel Cacopardo żied jgħid li mid-dehra l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar u l-Awtorità tat-Turiżmu jippretendu illi n-nies jimxu f’nofs it-triq, bin-negozji jokkupaw il-bankini u lanqas biss iħallu spazju għal per eżempju loading bays għall-ħwienet tal-madwar. Id-double parking perikoluż hija problema enormi fil-Gżira u postijiet simili. Il-mod kif qed joperaw ir-ristoranti fuq il-bankini huwa inaċċettabbli. F’dawn iċ-ċirkustanzi incident tat-traffiku jista’ jkollu konsegwenzi gravi ħafna. Inċident wieħed jista’ jfisser il-mewt ta’ bosta nies, ippakkjati fuq il-bankini tul ix-xatt mhux biss tal-Gżira, iżda ukoll Tas-Sliema u ta’ San Ġiljan. Niftakru fl-inċident li kellna San Ġiljan fejn Olandiż li kien miexi fuq il-promenade inqatel minn karozza misjuqa minn persuna b’livell għoli ta’ alkoħol.”

“Hemm bżonn li l-Awtorita’ tal-Ippjanar ma tibqax tipperikola lin-nies. Ir-residenti tal-Gżira m’għandhomx isiru priġunieri tan-negozji. Hemm bżonn ukoll li l-Kunsilli Lokali mhux biss ikunu ikkonsultati iżda li jkollhom sehem effettiv u ċentrali f’deċiżjonijiet li jirrigwardaw l-infrastruttura urbana fil-lokalitajiet tagħhom.”

“Irridu nindirizzaw ukoll mill-ġdid l-aċċess għal Manoel Island, l-uniku spazju miftuħ sura fl-inħawi li l-Parlament serqu mingħand in-nies u tah lin-negozju. Serqa fid-dawl tax-xemx bl-appoġġ taż-żewġ naħat tal-Parlament li illum għoxrin sena wara li saret se issir permanenti. Alternattiva Demokratika ilha s-snin targumenta favur li Manoel Island m’għandhiex tkun żviluppata u li għandha tkun ippreservata bħala gżira ekoliġika, l-uniku pulmun għall-Gżira u l-inħawi tal-madwar. Għad baqa’ ftit ċans biex, minkejja li ġie approvat il-permess ta’ żvilupp din il-ħsara kollha tkun evitata. L-appell tagħna lill-Gvern hu li flok ma jinvesti l-flus li qed ikunu ġġenerati mill-bejgħ tal-passaporti fil-banek bihom jixtri lura Manoel Island u jagħtiha lura lill-pajjiż. B’dan il-mod ikun qed iħassar l-effetti tal-iżball li għamel il-Parlament fl-1999 bil-kunsens unanimu tal-gruppi Parlamentari tal-PN u tal-PL.”

Alternattiva Demokratika hi dejjem favur ir-residenti. Il-ħarsien tal-ambjent urban hu essenzjali biex niddefendu l-kwalità tal-ħajja tar-residenti fil-lokalitajiet kollha tagħna, ikkonkluda Cacopardo.