Editorial

When the Turks besieged Malta they opened fire on the fortifications with all their guns, thinking it was now or never. In a similar mood of aggressiveness and urgency, but in a passionate plea to save our capital city, the mayor of Valletta, Paul Borg Olivier, recently opened a barrage on the people in direct responsibility for its well-being as well as those who are their superiors.

"Valletta does not deserve another siege but greater sensitivity towards its conservation," he said. "Valletta cannot stand alone to resist the new siege on its infrastructure, caused by lack of funding, inefficiency and commercial insensitivity".

One may not realise that within the time a public lavatory was installed at the Upper Barrakka, the Embassy Centre in Valletta was readied from ground level. And the place is still not done, despite its importance.

Wires still hang loose all over Valletta - just take a look at St Ursula Street, corner with Archbishop Street, for a prime example. Pavements lie broken and dangerous, lava blocks go missing, leaving dents, holes and cavities. Balconies threaten to fall out, buildings totter on their last legs, ghost shops and derelict houses host rats, wrapping paper, old plastic bags and empty ice-cream cartons and bottles. Shrubs grow on ancient buildings gazing blankly like eyeless watchers in Gaza.

It is difficult to remember that Valletta is a World Heritage Site, more than deserving of the many capital projects that have been planned but never seriously enough to lead to execution: the City Gate project from 15 years ago; the building of the Opera House site from 60 years and a serious plan for the derelict Fort St Elmo, which could be a little heart of a city all on its own.

Dr Borg Olivier called for "more manageable projects, rather than major capital ones which remain on paper". Perhaps thinking smaller would lead to something as against the present eleventh hour cosmetics.

How can Valletta come to life if it is dying every day from the abandoning carelessness of the country's rulers? How long must we talk about pavements, an integrated transport system and a new parking regime, catering for the locals and the visitors rather than the civil servants, politicians and satellites, who occupy important parking all day?

Projects that are too big for the local council to finance on its own may present smaller difficulties if the government steps in with money and power to change things. One wonders what happens to the Lm1 million the government earns from licences for cars to enter Valletta. If the money were used in the interests of Valletta, it would be a very good start.

It is not simply a question of giving Valletta inhabitants their due. Valletta belongs to the whole country. Visitors take their idea of Malta from what they see around. They might marvel at the architecture but their greater marvel is about how long before the whole thing crumbles and the masonry starts coming down. They can be seen tripping over damaged pavements. And they can be seen pointing their cameras at hazardous balconies and the wire forestry.

The trouble is there has been so much talk that promises and declarations have become insignificant. There needs to be more noise. Well done, mayor. These people are not inclined to listen.