Sliema residents split over proposed changes

A public meeting, which should have focused on new traffic management plans for Tignè point and the Sliema centre, inevitably ended up being taken over by a debate on the Qui-Si-Sana car park.

However, even though the anti-car park lobby made its presence felt, a number of residents, from other parts of Sliema, countered their arguments, claiming the development was a necessary item in a plan that should relieve a sizeable part of the town from chronic parking problems.

The meeting, chaired by Urban Development Minister Jesmond Mugliett and the Transport Authority, was meant to be about traffic management changes proposed for the ferries and Tignè peninsula.

Almost immediately, however, it became evident that most of the comments would be on the Qui-Si-Sana car park or at least were related.

The plans discussed yesterday were published in The Times on Wednesday and include proposals to reorganise traffic in Sliema and pedestrianise parts of the town centre.

According to the proposals, which still have to be approved by Cabinet, there will only be limited access by vehicles to the shopping centre - Lower Tower Road and Bisazza Street - while the bulk of the traffic will use the peripheral road along the seafront through Tignè and Qui-Si-Sana.

A presentation by the ADT at yesterday's meeting revealed that the traffic diverted from Bisazza Street to the new Tignè route would mean an increase of several hundred cars per hour (over 700) through Qui-Si-Sana. While acknowledging that this figure was high, Mr Mugliett pointed out, that major road developments in the area could probably lower this figure. "This is the estimate we have with the infrastructure as it is now," he said.

The anti Qui-Si-Sana car park lobby complained that this surge in traffic flow, compounded by the fact that cars wanting to enter the new parking complex would cause a traffic jam, would end up polluting an otherwise clean and resident-friendly area of Sliema.

What is more, a number of people said they were convinced there was no need for the car park, backing up this argument by claiming that the nearby car park in the town centre was barely ever full. On the other hand, the Midi car park, sited a stone's throw away, would probably be enough to cater for the area's needs, they added.

A number of residents who live on the Ferries, however, praised the ADT's plan to introduce a large-scale residents parking scheme which could relieve them of the chronic parking problems they face.

When the parking scheme would be introduced, and therefore a large number of parking spaces would be earmarked for residents, the need for a car park would become inevitable, they argued, in line with the government's reasoning.

As for the pedestrianisation of Bisazza Street and Tower Road, the news was generally received well. However, a number of issues were raised with regard to problems residents on these roads may face if the passageways were completely closed to traffic.

Comments on the proposals can be sent to the ADT.