If further proof was needed that the transport policy is being dictated solely by private vehicles the Mrieħel bypass project is a case in point. Our dependency on private transport is a reflection on decades-long successive governments’ lack of action in introducing measures promoting sustainable mobility. This was stated by ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo and Deputy General Secretary Sandra Gauci while addressing a press conference next to the industrial zone in Qormi.

Sandra Gauci said that the ever-increasing destruction of arable land not only threatens the livelihood of farmers and their families but also undermines the provision of local produce and reduces the few remaining open spaces. It also puts at risk EU funds aimed at agriculture, these being dependent on a clear strategy in favour of this sector.

Although Partit Laburista promised an expenditure of €700m towards the greening of urban zones, at the same time it is allowing the remaining open spaces to be clipped with construction and road widening developments.

This Mrieħel project is going to destroy one of the remaining green lungs for Qormi leading to wiping out of 20 tumoli (around 22,500 metres squared) of arable land. Moreover, a huge water reservoir will be razed to the ground while several protected olive and pomegranate trees – some hundreds of years old – will need to be uprooted.

This is another road widening project that will lead us to nowhere because the traffic that should be moving faster along the bypass will still be getting stuck at the Qormi roundabout. This madness should stop now, concluded Gauci.

Carmel Cacopardo said that there is a political decision that needs to be made in connection with this project: should we sacrifice precious land in favour of cars or shall we preserve agriculture? It is possible not to have more cars on the road but the impact of the reduction of farmland is felt increasingly by all.
While we have all heard about the benefits of open unpolluted spaces another area being used for agriculture is facing the chop in favour of cars. It is being claimed that there is a danger due to the current traffic situation in this area. But the solution is not making it easier for more cars to pass through but reducing the number of cars on the road, insisted Cacopardo.

The new roads minister was that of the environment up to a few weeks ago. Has he forgotten the basics of his previous role? May we suggest he reads the national transportation strategy that declares that 50 per cent of private cars only travel over a short distance. This is a damning certificate that the implementation of transport policy has been ignored, government has failed!

We must encourage more use of public transport and not waste resources on roads that continue to destroy the ever decreasing agriculture sector in our country. Agricultural fairs to promote agriculture, on their own will not protect agriculture, concluded Cacopardo.

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It-twessiegħ ta’ aktar toroq mhu se jwassalna mkien

Il-proġett tal-flyover konness ma din il-bypass huwa xhieda oħra ta’ kemm il-politika tat-trasport saret skjava tal-karozzi. Id-dipendenza tagħna lkoll fuq il-karozzi privati hi rifless tal-fatt li tul is-snin, gvern wara l-ieħor ma rnexxielux b’mod prattiku jieħu miżuri favur il-mobilità sostenibbli.

Dan intqal minn Carmel Cacopardo Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party li flimkien ma Sandra Gauci, Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali tal-partit indirizzaw konferenza tal-aħbarijiet fuq il-pont li jaqsam il-bypass tal-Imrieħel.

Sandra Gauci qalet li il-qerda dejjem tiżdied ta’ art agrikola hija ta’ theddida għall-għajxien tal-bdiewa u l-familji tagħhom. Thedded il-provvista’ ta’ ikel lokali u l-ftit spazji miftuħa li baqa’. Tipperikola ukoll fondi Ewropej immirati għall-agrikoltura u li huma dipendenti fuq strateġija ċara favur dan is-settur.

Għalkemm il-Partit Laburista wiegħed nefqa ta’ €700m għat-tħaddir taż-żoni urbani tagħna, ma jagħmilx sens li fl-istess waqt l-ispazji ħodor li għad fadlilna jkomplu jitnaqqru bi żvilupp ta’ kostruzzjoni u twessiegħ ta’ toroq.

Dan il-proġett tal-Imrieħel sejjer jeqred wieħed mill-aħħar pulmuni ħodor ta’ Ħal Qormi u jwassal għal qerda ta’ 20 tomna (madwar 22,500 metri kwadri) t’art agrikola. Barra minn hekk, sejjer jeqred ġibjun kbir tal-ħażna tal-ilma kif ukoll li jinqalgħu minn posthom numru ta’ siġar protetti taż-żebbuġ u tar-rummien li xi uħud minnhom ilhom hawn għal mijiet ta’ snin.

Dan huwa proġett ieħor ta’ twessiegħ tat-toroq li mhu se jwassalna imkien għaliex it-traffiku li suppost se jkun jista’ jgħaddi minn hawn b’mod aktar faċli se jeħel fir-roundabout ta’ Ħal Qormi. Dan il-ġenn għandu jitwaqqaf immedjatament, ikkonkludiet Gauci.

Carmel Cacopardo qal li l-għażla politika konnessa ma dan il-proġett hi jekk għandniex nagħmlu sagrifiċċju favur il-karozzi inkella sagrifiċċju favur il-biedja. Hu possibli ngħaddu mingħajr iktar karozzi fit-toroq. Il-biedja qed taqla’ daqqa wara l-oħra, impatt li fl-aħħar mill-aħħar jinħass minn kulħadd. 

Wara li smajna ħafna kliem dwar l-ispazji miftuħa u mhux imniġġsa quddiemna għandna spazju miftuh użat għall-agrikultura li jridu jagħtuh lill-karozzi. Qed jgħidulna li hawn il-periklu u hu veru dan. Is-soluzzjoni mhux li nżidu l-karozzi imma li innaqqsu l-karozzi mit-toroq, sostna Cacopardo.

Il-Ministru l-ġdid tat-toroq, ftit ġimgħat ilu kien Ministru tal-Ambjent. Jidher li nesa dak li seta’ tgħallem meta kien f’dik ir-responsabbiltà. Nissuġġerulu li jaqra ftit l-istrateġija nazzjonali dwar it-trasport li tgħidlu bl-iswed fuq l-abjad li f’dawn il-gżejjer 50 fil-mija tal-vjaġġi bil-karozzi privati nagħmluhom għal distanzi qosra. X’ċertifikat ikbar jonqos li l-politika dwar it-trasport fil-pajjiż tul is-snin falliet? 

Irridu nħajjru lin-nies jużaw iktar it-trasport pubbliku mhux inkomplu narmu r-riżorsi f’iktar toroq li jkomplu jeqirdu l-ftit biedja li fadal. Il-fieri favur il-biedja, waħedhom mhux biżżejjed. Jeħtieġ li l-biedja tkun imħarsa bis-serjetà, temm Cacopardo.