Thursday, 4th September 2008 - 14:35CET

Marsascala seafront to be pedestrianised this weekend

Marina Street in Marsascala will be pedestrianised in the evenings of the coming weekend as part of an experiment which has also been tried out in Bugibba.

Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco and officials from the locality's local council said activities will be held along the seafront in Marsascala between this Friday and Sunday while traffic wil be deviated to St Anne Street, which will be opened two-way for traffic.

There will be a free of charge shuttle bus service from near Razzett tal-Hbiberija. This will be available between 8 p.m. and 1 a.m.

The local council and the shops of the area will provide entertainment and Marina Street will be embellished with flowers and fjakkoli.

Comments

Pauline Barbara (on 5/9/08)

A shuttle service from Razzett tal-Hbiberija to the seafront????? The fact is wherever you park in Marsascala, its a 5 -10 mins walk to the seafront, so I would suggest forget about the shuttle, find somewhere to park and walk.

St. Anne str., was opened for two way traffic during the St.Anne feast and it was okay they just kept cars from parking on this road. Re access to Jerma and St.Thomas Bay area, well you will still be able to turn left at the end of St. Anne Street, go past the playground and past Grabiel - well I think that's what they were doing when the feast was on.

Its a good idea, to be honest Marsascala is pretty packed over the weekends anyway so I wouldn't say the local bars and restaurants needed to boost sales over the weekend - but there will be a different atmosphere and I'm all for trying something different - why not!!

DVella (on 4/9/08)

Nice to see an excellent proposal taken up and implemented by Parliamentary Secretary DeMarco almost a year after it was proposed by the Projects Unit in Ministry for Ubran Development and Roads. Just goes to show that SOME people are willing to actually DO things instead of just talking about them. . . ! By the way, didn't 'certain elements' within ADT shoot down and reject this proposal when it was originally put forward by a unit within its own Ministry?? What happened to all the objections to the original proposals and the myriad of problems they foresaw in implementation??

Noel Enriquez (on 4/9/08)

I think it's an absurd idea. Chances are the unpopularity of Marsaskala with people from other areas of Malta with this move. Having to come there from other regions of Malta, looking for parking, walking to the shuttle service, boarding the shuttle service, and then reaching the destination premises, is a discomfort. On the other hand, going to other areas of Malta, parking your car close and entering your destination establishment would be easier. Call me lazy, but I go out to eat in evenings to relax not have my life complicated by such a move.

Ninette Zammit (on 4/9/08)

I like these initiatives. But sometimes they are not practical. It is our habit as a family to take out my 95 year old father who can walk only for a few paces (with aid) and drop him off in front of a certain restaurant on a Saturday evening. This restaurant is situated on the front. He cannot climb the high steps of a minibus. Sadly we cannot go there any more. This was the highlight of the week for him.

Andrew Cumbo (on 4/9/08)

And what about us that make use of the slipway, situated in from of M'Scala Parish Church? Are we going to be allowed to use this slipway to enjoy the weekend with our boats?
Hope this is only an experiment after all the trouble we had with the M'Scala Local council to clear the area nearby the slipway to able us to park our boat trailers.

joseph stafrace (on 4/9/08)

I tend to agree with Bernard Mamo that Triq Sant Anna is quite narrow for a two way traffic especially at the Brighton end; on the other hand there is no harm trying it out ,after all this is just an experiment. Whilst the subject of parking is cropping about it would be a good idea if the council where to consider the area behind and parallel with il-Mahluq as a temporary car Park. Obviously this has to be done with the approval of Messrs. Fino the present owners of the land in question.

Nathan Farrugia (on 4/9/08)

To date, we have not been informed about or involved in this activity and therefore the assumption that people can park in the Razzett car park is misguided. Our parking facilities are only open to the users of our facilities [on presentation of membership card] and our gates close at 9pm. We hope that this will not create an inconvenience to persons with reduced mobility who want to access our services. Please call the local council for more information on parking. Regards, Nathan Farrugia, CEO, Razzett tal-Hbiberija.

Angelo Desira (on 4/9/08)

I do not understand how the promenade of Qajjenza in Birzebbuga is in a state of abandon.This is a nice quite area and the minister of tourism must tackle in the future, to make a new promenade with street furniture like St Georges Bay. The North and the south projects we have not to make any difference. We are all Maltese and we all love Malta.

Bernard Mamo (on 4/9/08)

How can st.Anne street be a 2 way street? There's no way that can be done! Where there is brighton take away (behind it) hardly a single car can pass let alone 2 cars!
If someone is near the church, and wants to go to the st.Thomas bay or Jerma area, will they have to go all the way round from bidni?

Matthew Borg (on 4/9/08)

Imagine this scene in Bugibba last week .... a 14 piece band playing and marching along the Bugibba promenade .... some ppl with puschairs walking in the middle of the road ... and a bus coming up, honking its horns and emitting exhaust. Band had to stop ... ppl had to go on the pavement .... Imma l'aqwa li pedestrain (except for route buses) Ma nghamlu xejn sew Malta!

I Sammut (on 4/9/08)

No, this is not a good idea at all! Marsaskala is divided like Berlin used to be whenever either this street or the one parallel to it are closed. Unfortunately if one has to go from one side of the town to the other one has to pass through these streets. This will create unnecessary traffic jams and pollution on the other side. St Anne Street, being a one lane street in some parts is only an emergency backup. While as exception this can be tolerated it should not become the rule. If one were to close another part of the front, traffic problems can be more easily avoided as the existent alternatives are better.

Michael Vella (on 4/9/08)

Mr P Micallef......I just cannot believe your comments....M'scala promende well kept????? M'scala Local council energetic????......your comments must be ironic because I never remember M'Scala in a state of neglect as it is right now...You only have to compare the state of the playing field to the one at Indepence gardens at Sliema to see how energetic the local council is.!!!!.. Well done Dr Demarco for your initiative......maybe the sun will rise for the South of Malta one fine day

Paul Barrett (on 4/9/08)

This is another great move - another place for smokers to go and enjoy themselves without taking the risk of being run over whilst breathing car fumes.

One point on the article: "while traffic wil be deviated to St Anne Street"

Shoul read "while traffic will be DIVERTED to St Anne Street"

K Caruana (on 4/9/08)

I believe that such initiatives (not experiments) are very positive.

However, much information is lacking w.r.t. this particular initiative!

Does the parking at Razzett tal-Hbiberija cater for more than 200 cars?

What about persons with disability....will the shuttle bus service cater for the possibility of carrying a wheelchair?

At what time will this service start and end?

What will be the frequency of the shuttle bus service?

Will there be some form of incentive with respect to using public transport to go to M'Scala next Saturday?

I also suggest that separate waste collection bins are installed temporarily in Marina Street.

P Micallef (on 4/9/08)

Well done Marsascala Local Council, Mayor and PS de Marco.

The Marsascala promenade is one of the best kept promenades on the Island. Let's keep it that way. The newly installed lighting system was worth spending the money on.

Since we are on the subject may I point out to the authorities that some years ago in St Thomas Bay, next to the beach, permission was granted to set up a bar. Every year the area surrounding this bar was extended, little by little, to the extent that this year the proprietors of this bar occupied the whole area between the benches surrounding the bay with their own sun umbrellas, tables and chairs, that now practically there is no more space from which one can pass through.

I urge the local council and especially the energetic Marsascala Mayor to look into this and take the necessary action.

Christine Vella (on 4/9/08)

Good move. Instead of inhaling car exhaust we can now smell the sea. We can also enjoy the beautiful bay of Marsascala rather than be on the lookout for cars especially some that for some reason like to make a show on how fast their car can carry them.

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Marsascala seafront to be pedestrianised this weekend

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