Notte Bianca's grey areas

It would be insane not to applaud the effort undertaken to organise Notte Bianca. But when it comes to bread and butter mathematics I need to have an answer to three pertinent questions:

1. How much did it all cost the taxpayer?

2. Who benefited?

3. How many more tourists did we get as a result? (For an event to be a tourist puller it needs to be advertised at least a year in advance.)

Truth be told, I attended because I have relatives living in Valletta. I would not have ventured there, not with the disaster with regard to traffic arrangements. The event was advertised as starting at 5 p.m. For those, like me, who were there at six there wasn't much to see for free until after eight. We whiled away the time by hearing Saturday evening Mass and went for a capucchino. (You don't need Notte Bianca for that).

The truth is that through our taxes the restaurant/bar/cafeteria industry in Valletta depleted their stocks and filled their coffers at no extra expense on their part. They charged according to their whims - an outlet was charging Lm2.70 for a glass of wine and no receipts please. The organisers should light a thanksgiving candle that no emergency occurred or else I wonder how ambulances could have got in. Residents coming back from a day's work had to park in Hamrun or Msida and walk all the way to Valletta

All in all the same pattern is repeating itself whenever a major event is organised. Is there a buck to be made out of it? And we poor common people have to fork out cash and more cash if we need any kind of entertainment. I hope the authorities realise that no complimentary tickets ever come our way...