The squares in the centres of our towns and villages, as in any serious European country, should be mostly for the people. This was said by speakers of ADPD – The Green Party during a press conference in the centre of Mosta on Saturday morning.
ADPD – The Green Party Secretary General Ralph Cassar said that the saga about the so-called ‘square’ of Mosta showed one thing: that neither the local council of Mosta nor the government have the vision and the conviction that pedestrianisation is a good and beneficial goal. “The government still does not have a clear policy that gives priority to pedestrianisation, and invents policy according to the ‘necessities’ of the political rivalry between the PN and the PL, a form of rivalry that Mosta is now well known for. As far as the local council of Mosta is concerned, the Nationalist Party showed it does not believe that Mosta deserves a real square, and not just in name; even though the PN councillors had approved the closure of the square to traffic on the weekend, before the Council election this year, they have now changed their tune. It shows that they are not serious, that they lack vision and that they are quick to abandon the goals of people-friendly spaces, giving in to the loudest ill-informed naysayers.
The advantages of squares reserved for people are enormous. They are a safe space for those with mobility problems. Despite what some say, the truth is that the danger for people with mobility problems is the busy streets, and not a traffic-free square where there is no need to rush to cross or to be on the look out to avoid being hit or killed by a passing vehicle. A square is a space where children can enjoy outdoor space without danger. A square is a space away from smoke and pollution, visible and invisible, that everyone can enjoy. Pollution causes enormous damage to the health of residents and pedestrians. It is also worth emphasising, despite what some say, that pedestrianisation actually boosts local business. It is a well-known and well-studied fact that pedestrianisation has economic benefits for small shops in the heart of communities. Pedestrianization also reduces the continuous noise from traffic which is harmful to health.
The facts speak for themselves. The architect in charge of the project had previously stated to the press that if he were the one making the decisions, traffic passing through the centre of Mosta would have been further reduced. And in actual fact, many residents prefer to have the square to be closed to traffic permanently, Cassar concluded. (source: https://timesofmalta.com/article/this-mosta-square-soon-look-like.1049119)
ADPD Chairperson Sandra Gauci said that the argument brought by those who are against true progress and against giving the space taken over by cars and pollution back to the people was that the square, when closed to traffic, was not full of people. As if people are going to be out in the square in the glaring light of the high noon. As if less traffic in the centre of Mosta is not in itself already a good thing. As if there needs to be crowds for something to be good. The pedestrianization of Pjazza Rotunda should become permanent. This is what Mosta deserves. Any person who is truly proud of the Rotunda and the cultural heritage of Mosta wants this, similar to other European cities; from the smallest historical centre in Sicily to the biggest cities, the square is open to the people and free from traffic at all times. It is a great pity that after spending a significant amount of money on the centre of Mosta, the square only becomes a real and proper square for only a few hours at the weekend. The elderly, children, families, residents and everyone who visits the Rotunda deserve much better. The games of parochial politics between Mosta councillors should stop. They are showing us that they do not have a vision, they do not look forward. Those who are against pedestrianisation want a polluted Mosta. It is not true that they have a healthy urban environment at heart. Despite their rhetoric their anti-pedestrian stance shows that it is not true that they are proud of the Rotunda, the monument in the heart of Mosta. They actually want the Rotunda to remain a roundabout surrounded by cars, instead of a monument in the centre of a proper square free of traffic.
We want the Mosta square, Pjazza Rotunda, to truly become a square for people and not just at the weekend. A square through which traffic passes is not a square at all but just a road like any other road. It is time for Mosta and the country to make the leap to the 21st century and give the centres of the towns and villages back to the people, as is now the norm in cities, towns and villages, small and large in Europe.
The government’s position should be clear. The conditions for funding for the Rotunda area should have been clear: the area should be given back to the community. The government must be clear about what it wants for the whole country as regards urban planning policy, sustainable mobility and pedestrianisation. If the government is convinced that pedestrianisation is good for people’s health, for our communities, for our quality of life, it should have the courage to take the necessary decisions – including proper funding – for pedestrianisation projects to throughout the country, concluded Gauci.
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Il-pjazez għandhom ikunu għan-nies
Ir-realtà hija li l-ispazju fil-pjazez fiċ-ċentri tal-ibliet u l-irħula tagħna, bħal f’kull pajjiż Ewropew serju, għandu jkun fil-parti l-kbira tiegħu għan-nies. Dan qaluh kelliema ta’ ADPD – The Green Party waqt konferenza stampa fiċ-ċentru tal-Mosta s-Sibt filgħodu.
Is-Segretarju Ġenerali tal-ADPD Ralph Cassar qal li is-saga dwar l-hekk imsejħa ‘pjazza’ tal-Mosta uriet ħaġa waħda: li la l-kunsill lokali tal-Mosta u lanqas il-gvern ma għandhom il-viżjoni u l-konvinzjoni li l-pedestrijanizazzjoni hija mira tajba u ta’ ġid. Il-gvern għad ma għandux politika ċara li tagħti prijorità lill-pedestrijanizazzjoni, u jivvinta l-policy skont il-piki politiċi bejn il-PN u l-PL. Piki pwerili li l-Mosta issa magħrufa sew għalihom. Min-naħa tal-kunsill lokali tal-Mosta, l-Partit Nazzjonalista wera li mhux vera jemmen li l-Mosta ħaqqha pjazza ta’ vera, u mhux tal-isem biss; għax minkejja li l-kunsilliera tal-PN approvaw l-għeluq tal-pjazza għat-traffiku fil-weekend qabel l-elezzjoni tal-Kunsill ta’ dis-sena, issa biddlu d-diska. Turija li mhux serji, li ma għandhomx viżjoni u li huma bħal qasba tixxejjer mar-riħ. Lanqas m’huwa aċċettabbli li meta fondi jingħataw bi skop, dan l-iskop imbagħad jinbidel.
Il-vantaġġi ta’ pjazez riżervati għan-nies huma enormi. Huma spazju sigur għal min għandu problemi ta’ mobilità. Minkejja dak li jgħidu xi wħud, il-verità hi li l-periklu għal persuni bi problemi ta’ mobilità huma t-toroq traffikużi, u mhux pjazza ħielsa mit-traffiku fejn dak li jkun m’hemmx għalfejn jgħaġġel biex jaqsam, jew joqgħod b’seba’ għajnejn biex jevita xi daqqa li taf tkun fatali, ta’ vettura. Pjazza hija spazju fejn it-tfal jistgħu igawdu spazju fuq barra mingħajr perikli. Pjazza hija spazju lilhinn mid-dħaħen u t-tniġġis, jidher u ma jidhirx, li kulħadd jista’ jgawdi. It-tniġġis jagħmel ħsara enormi fuq is-saħħa tar-residenti u n-nies li jużaw it-triq. Ta’ min jemfasizza ukoll, li minkejja dak li jgħidu wħud, il-pedestrijanizazzjoni tagħti spinta lin-negozju lokali. Huwa fatt magħruf u studjat sew li l-pedestrijanizazzjoni għandha benefiċċji ekonomiċi għal ħwienet żgħar fil-qalba tal-komunitajiet. Bil-pedestrijanizazzjoni jonqos ukoll l-istorbju kontinwu mit-traffiku li huwa ta’ ħsara għas-saħħa.
Dan juruh il-fatti. Il-perit tal-proġett kien iddikjara fl-istampa, li kieku kien hu li jieħu d-deċiżjonijiet kien inaqqas t-traffiku li jgħaddi min-nofs il-Mosta aktar. Huma fil-fatt ħafna r-residenti li jippreferu l-pjazza tingħalaq għat-traffiku b’mod permanenti, temm jgħid Cassar. (sors: https://timesofmalta.com/article/this-mosta-square-soon-look-like.1049119)
Iċ-Chairperson tal-ADPD Sandra Gauci qalet li l-argumenti li ġabu dawk li huma kontra l-progress veru, kontra li jingħata l-ispazju ikkapparrat mill-karozzi u t-tniġġis lura lin-nies, huwa li l-pjazza, meta magħluqa għat-traffiku ma kienitx mimlija nies. Bħallikieku fl-eqqel tax-xemx in-nies joqgħodu barra. Bħallikieku anqas traffiku fiċ-ċentru tal-Mosta mhix minnha nnifisha diġà ħaġa tajba. Bħallikieku hemm bżonn ikun hemm il-folol biex xi ħaġa tkun tajba. Il-pedestrijanizazzjoni ta’ Pjazza Rotunda għandha ssir permanenti. Hekk ħaqqha l-Mosta. Min verament huwa kburi bir-Rotunda u l-wirt kulturali tal-Mosta jrid li, bħal ma jiġri biswit monumenti simili f’kull belt Ewropea, mill-iċken ċentru storiku fi Sqallija, sal-akbar ibliet, l-pjazza tkun miftuħa għan-nies u ħielsa mill-kruha tat-traffiku l-ħin kollu. Hija ħasra kbira li wara l-infieq kbir ta’ flus fuq iċ-ċentru tal-Mosta, l-pjazza ssir verament pjazza għal ftit sigħat biss fi tmiem il-ġimgħa. L-anzjani, t-tfal, il-familji, ir-residenti u kull min iżur ir-Rotunda ħaqqu ħafna aħjar. Il-logħob tal-politika parrokkjali bejn il-kunsilliera Mostin għandu jieqaf. Qed juruna li m’għandhomx viżjoni, ma jħarsux ‘il quddiem, u huma mhedijin bil-parking, iridu Mosta mniġġsa, u mhux vera għandhom għal qalbhom ambjent urban b’saħħtu. Mhux vera kburin bil-monument fil-qalba tal-Mosta, għax iridu r-Rotunda tibqa’ roundabout imdawra bil-karozzi, minflok monument fiċ-ċentru ta’ pjazza miftuħa u ħielsa mit-traffiku.
Aħna rridu li l-pjazza tal-Mosta, Pjazza Rotunda ssir verament pjazza għan-nies u mhux fil-weekend biss. Pjazza li minnha jgħaddi t-traffiku m’hija pjazza xejn iżda biss triq bħal kull triq oħra. Wasal iż-żmien li l-Mosta u l-pajjiż jagħmel il-qabża għas-seklu 21 u jagħti, tal-anqas iċ-ċentri tal-ibliet u l-irħula lura lin-nies, bħal ma jsir fl-ibliet u rħula żgħar u kbar Ewropej.
Min-naħa tal-gvern, għandu jkun ċar. Parti mill-kundizzjonijiet għall-iffinanzjar tal-Pjazza Rotunda missu kien ċar u tond: li l-pjazza għandha tingħata lill-komunità. Il-gvern għandu jkun ċar dwar x’irid għall-pajjiż kollu. Kemm fil-politika dwar l-ippjanar urban, fil-mobilità sostenibbli u fil-pedestrijanizazzjoni. Jekk għandu l-konvinzjoni li l-pedestrijanizazzjoni hija ta’ ġid għas-saħħa tan-nies, għall-komunitajiet tagħna, għall-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna, għandu jkollu l-kuraġġ li jieħu d-deċiżjonijiet meħtieġa biex proġetti ta’ pedestrijanizazzjoni jinfirxu mal-pajjiż kollu, temmet tgħid Gauci.
