Sliema proposed changes

I feel disturbed by the heading to Mark Micallef's write-up, Sliema Residents Split Over Proposed Changes (February 25), which reported the meeting between Minister Jesmond Mugliett and the locals. The residents of Qui-Si-Sana and Tigné are not split at all on the matter.

Firstly, we are thankful to have our area as well as everywhere in Sliema covered by an RPZ - and this should be 24 hours, seven days a week (and this goes for all other centres in towns and villages - all residents come first and foremost, everywhere).

Secondly, the car park - if it is felt that this is a necessity considering the existing car parks and all other new car parks in the offing - can be constructed as planned, below the existing Qui-Si-Sana gardens, but surely no bowling alley, theatre, gym, newsagent's, day care centre and catering facilities are needed. A car park is there to solve parking problems, while all the rest cause them.

So please, let's build a car park only, and only if this is really required. It could be run by the Sliema council.

Thirdly, there is the question of traffic flow. At the meeting of February 24, the ADT deputy chief executive showed the increase of traffic flow through Qui-Si-Sana and Tigné that would result when lower Tower Road and Bisazza Street become partly pedestrianised. It was mentioned that traffic along Qui-si-Sana seafront will increase from 250 vehicles per hour to some 1,750 vehicles per hour.

Surely pedestrianisation of Tower Road and Bisazza Street are not required at all. Instead, no parking should be allowed in these two streets during shopping hours and the pavements on each side of both streets should be widened for pedestrians to use more comfortably. Services to the shops can be rendered daily between 1 and 4 p.m.

If, as the authorities argue, pedestrianisation of Bisazza Street and lower Tower Road would be advantageous to the shoppers it would most certainly be disadvantageous to all the residents of Qui-Si-Sana and Tigné, whose interests should come first. The Sliema local council must safeguard the interests of the residents.