Editorial

Anyone who has been to Gozo on any weekday recently would be able to understand why the majority of respondents to an online poll by The Times would like a bridge to be built between the two islands.

The sea has been rough, the weather has been cold, and hardly any Maltese souls - who keep the Gozitan economy alive - have ventured over to the sister island.

To describe this experience as a chore for anyone who must make the crossing on a regular basis for the sake of one's daily bread is an understatement. It is tiring, unpredictable and hugely time consuming.

And things do not get any better in more clement weather. Although the journey becomes a more pleasant experience, the prospects of managing to board the ferry one aims for become much more remote - since the passenger load increases dramatically - which only adds to the tension and stress of what has, in all probability, already been a very long day.

Arguments about Gozo being overdeveloped and therefore ruined should a bridge ever be built do not hold much sway either, since the Gozitans themselves, and others too, seem to be doing a pretty good job of that already. It would be unfair to single out a few specific projects, since there are so many, but it is a fairly safe bet that the erosion of the island's beauty will be more or less complete by the time there is any alternative means of crossing. And it is not convincing to say that the Maltese would flock to take up residence there because it would still be a considerable drive to the main employment areas.

If the debate ends here, the ayes would surely have it. But it probably does not stop there.

There is no convincing evidence to suggest that tourism to the sister island would increase if a bridge replaced the ferry crossing. It is safe to say that most tourists actually prefer to make the journey by sea - which in recent months has become more efficient - and they are certainly not put off by it. This would also apply to the large majority of Maltese. And while the aesthetic nature of the sister island is not likely to suffer any significant effect, the Maltese archipelago would be blighted by the ugliest of blots. Surely it has enough of them already.

Of course, there is the cost factor. First, the cost to the environment, which is astronomical when one considers that a bridge would go through one of the most beautiful stretches of sea.

Second, the cost of the project: It is inconceivable in the modern world that the government would take it on - at least alone - so it remains for the private sector to take the plunge. Who is going to do this and take on all the risks such an unknown quantity carries with it? And how much will they charge people for making use of it once it has been completed?

However, it is undeniable that the existing ferries will get old and the government should start thinking from now what it is going to do to replace them. A tunnel would no doubt be the best option, providing it is doable.

But the issue should be looked at in a holistic manner and not just with Gozo in mind. It should preferably stretch from the sister island to Valletta, branching out in between. What a bridge that would be!

Why not set up a mixed technical project team to look into the matter?