It-trakka tat-tlielaq tal-karozzi mhix biss ħela ta’ fondi pubbliċi. L-għażla tas-sit għat-trakka f’Ħal Far, fil-periferija ta’ Birżebbuġa hi xhieda mill-iktar gravi ta’ nuqqas ta’ sensittività għall-ħarsien tal-kwalità tal-ħajja tal-komunitajiet residenzjali fil-qrib. Dan qaluh Carmel Cacopardo u Melissa Bagley, Deputati Chairpersons ta’ ADPD-The Green Party f’Ħal Far.

“Birżebbuġa hu diġà mgħobbi bit-tniġġiż mill-istorbju u ma jiflaħx li jkun soġġettat għal iktar.” Dan qalitu Dr Melissa Bagley, residenta Birżebbuġa u Deputat Chairperson ADPD.

Il-proposta għal trakka għat-tlielaq tal-karozzi f’Ħal Far ser iżżid mal-istorbju li bih diġà hu ibbumbardjat Birżebbuġa kemm mill-ajruplani li jinżlu minn fuq Birżebbuġa għall-ajruport, kif ukoll mit-Terminal tal-Port Ħieles. Dawn diġà qed jissuġġettaw lil Birżebbuġa għal storbju kważi kontinwu matul kull ħin tal-ġurnata. Birżebbuġa ma tiflaħx iktar. Il-proposta tal-Gvern hi waħda insensittiva għall-aħħar għax ifisser li l-Gvern jiġi jaqa’ u jqum mill-interessi tar-residenti ta’ Birżebbuġa.

Parti mis-sit ilu jiġi użat għat-tlielaq fi tmiem il-ġimgħa. L-istorbju ġġenerat f’dawn il-ġranet jasal anke sa Ħal Safi u Ħal Kirkop, aħseb u ara sa Birżebbuġa. Xi drabi l-attività konnessa mat-tlielaq tal-karozzi ġieli damet anke sas-sagħtejn ta’ filgħodu, ikkonkludiet Bagley.

Presentement ix-xogħol għaddej fuq it-trakka tad-drag-racing, dik magħrufa bħala tal-kwart ta’ mil, għax dwarha biss s’issa nħareġ permess mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar u dan billi l-applikazzjoni għat-trakka propja ġiet irtirata. Ix-xogħol qed isir permezz ta’ direct order li nħareġ minn Infrastructure Malta b’valur ta’ iktar minn €7 miljuni, iktar kmieni din is-sena. Dan sar minflok ma ħarġet sejħa pubblika għall-offerti. Dwar dan, qal Carmel Cacopardo, Deputat Chairperson, ADPD talbet investigazzjoni mill-Awditur Ġenerali u dan billi l-ħruġ sistematiku ta’ direct orders minn Infrastructure Malta hu abbuż tal-proċeduri ta’ xiri ta’ servizzi li entità pubblika bħal Infrastructure Malta għandha issegwi.

Filwaqt li x-xogħol fuq it-trakka l-kbira b’tul ta’ żewġ kilometri, mifruxa fuq 82,900 metru kwadru għadu ma bediex, l-istima oriġinali ta’ €20 miljun euro diġà sparat ’il fuq għal €78.3 miljun. Dan kif jirriżulta minn dokumenti li ġew ippubblikati riċentement. Xi ħadd għad irid jispjega kif inhu possibli li jkun hemm din il-varjazzjoni kollha. Kif meta x-xogħol għadu lanqas biss beda, l-istima diġà żdiedet għal kważi 4 darbiet tal-istima oriġinali. Dan kollu hu xhieda tad-dilettantiżmu fl-amministrazzjoni ta’ fondi pubbliċi.

Sadanittant l-applikazzjoni tal-ippjanar għat-trakka tidher li issa ġiet irtirata minħabba li ma tlestewx l-istudji ambjentali dwar il-kontrolli meħtieġa dwar storbju u tniġġis mid-dawl kif mitlub mill-awtorità għall-ħarsien ambjentali. Għax hu permezz tal-miżuri identifikati f’dawn l-istudji li jista’ jkun imnaqqas l-impatt tal-operazzjoni tat-trakka fuq il-komunitajiet residenzjali fil-viċin. Impatt li seta’ jkun evitat kieku l-Gvern wera sensittività minima meħtieġa biex tkun imħarsa l-kwalità tal-ħajja tal-komunitajiet residenzjali fil-qrib, temm jgħid Cacopardo.

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The car racing track is a blow to the quality of life of the surrounding residential communities

The racing track is not just a case of more money down the drain. The decision to select a site for a car-racing track at Ħal-Far, on the outskirts of Birżebbuġa, betrays a gross lack of sensitivity towards the welfare of the residential communities in the vicinity. This was stated by Carmel Cacopardo and Melissa Bagley, Deputy Chairpersons ta’ ADPD-The Green Party at Ħal-Far.

“Birżebbuġa cannot take more noise pollution. It is already bombarded from all directions.” This was stated by Dr Melissa Bagley, a Birżebbuġa resident and ADPD Deputy Chairperson.

The proposal of a car racing track at Ħal Far will add to the noise pollution to which Birżebbuġa is already subjected to from aeroplanes which descend towards the airport over Birżebbuġa, as well as the continuous noise resulting from the operations of the Freeport Terminal. Birżebbuġa cannot take more! The Government proposal shows a lack of sensitivity and signifies that, at the end of the day, Government does not care about the welfare of the residents of Birżebbuġa.

Part of the site has already been in use on weekends: the resulting acoustic pollution is being picked up as far away as Kirkop and Safi, let alone in Birżebbuga itself. At times, this goes on well into the night, even as late as 2am, concluded Bagley.

Works are currently in hand on the drag-racing track, commonly referred to as the quarter-mile track. These works are the only ones permitted to date by the Planning Authority in view of the fact that the planning application for the racing track proper has been withdrawn. Works in hand have been possible as a result of a direct order issued by Infrastructure Malta earlier this year. This has a value of around €7 million. It was issued instead of a public call for tenders. Carmel Cacopardo, Deputy Chairperson of ADPD-The Green Party stated that this matter has been referred to the Auditor General for an investigation in view of the fact that it is part of an abusive systemic exercise by Infrastructure Malta to undermine the public procurement rulebook which must be observed in the wider public sector.  

Even though works on the racing track itself, spread over 82,900 square metres, have not yet commenced, the original estimate of its costs have already sky-rocketed from the original €20 million to a staggering €78.3 million. This has resulted from documents which were made public recently. An explanation is required as to why it is possible to have so large a variation with the revised estimate being approximately 4 times the original one. This points to one clear conclusion: the amateurism in the administration of public funds.

Meanwhile the planning application for the racing track is apparently withdrawn most probably as a result of the lack of conclusion of the environmental studies on acoustic and light pollution required by the environmental authority. It is only through the measures which could be identified in these studies that the impacts arising out of the operation of the racing track can be potentially addressed. These impacts could have been avoided if the government showed a minimum level of sensitivity for quality of life of the residential communities in the vicinity, concluded Cacopardo.