Mother hurt by decision not to build Mrieħel footbridge

The mother of a girl who died five years ago while crossing the Mrieħel bypass has exp-ressed her disgust at Transport Malta’s decision to shelve plans for a footbridge over the road because it is financially unfeasible.

Marlene Housley speaks of her “hurt” at the authority’s justification to abandon plans for a long-promised footbridge on the premise that only 42 people a week cross the busy road where her 17-year-old daughter, Emma, and her 13-year-old friend, Graziella, were run over.

Residents who live on the industrial estate side of the bypass have no safe way of crossing the road to make it to Qormi’s centre. The girls were crossing the road to visit a sick friend.

“Losing my daughter was my worst nightmare... my pain is forever. Now I read in the newspaper that the long-promised footbridge where my beautiful daughter Emma lost her life is not economically feasible.

“Shame on the Roads Minister and Transport Malta! That is as if they are telling me that my daughter’s life was worthless. Do they have any idea how much that hurts? No, I’m sure they don’t! How many more deaths will make it feasible to build a footbridge,” Mrs Housley writes in The Times today.

Transport Malta has a planning permit to build a footbridge but the authority has re-thought its plans after studies showed that an average of 42 people per week cross the road. Instead, the authority said it was considering installing a pelican light crossing on the busy artery.

This option was criticised by roads expert Simon Micallef Stafrace who said installing lights on this road could cause more problems.

Readers who commented on timesofmalta.com also criticised the authority’s decision, most of them taking umbrage at the fact that economic considerations were given priority over human life.

Some suggested an underpass as a more suitable alternative with others criticising the fact that the 80 kilometres per hour road would see the speed limit reduced if pelican lights were introduced.

Qormi mayor Jesmond Aquilina questions the credibility of the authority’s justification that only 42 people cross the road and insists human life could not be quantified in monetary terms.

“If the pelican crossing lights provide a safe passage for pedestrians and drivers alike I will welcome them but I have my doubts on how safe they will be,” Mr Aquilina said, insisting it was Transport Malta’s responsibility to ensure the road was safe.

When the bypass was built 20 years ago it cut right through a housing estate ostracising a community of some 300 people.