Julian Scicluna, Żurrieq
Does Gozo really need a bridge?
Paul Portelli (The Sunday Times, January 9) and other contributors in favour of linking Malta and Gozo with a bridge are missing a very important point.
Even if, as a nation, we can fork out the money to have it built, this does not mean that the financial burden for Gozitans is over. A toll for using the bridge will surely need to be paid.
Mr Portelli compares the situation to “some of the most beautiful bridges in the world”. Yes, they are beautiful but they incur a toll. Also, these bridges are in big cities with millions of people. One cannot imagine a bridge that links Malta and Gozo having the same amount of traffic. So in this case the cost would definitely be more difficult to justify.
This does not mean one should not debate ways of linking the two islands. Some time ago we had heard about the interesting idea of using funicular cable cars. Besides being a less intrusive option, this is a much less costly option to implement and maintain.
Connecting Malta to Comino and Comino to Gozo could also improve accessibility to Comino while not ruining the island with any traffic.
Let us debate the matter but do not naively expect that a bridge will make all transport costs go away.
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M. Buttigieg
Jan 16th 2011, 19:30
Does Gozo Need a Bridge Answer is :-NO we can still use the Gozo Ferries, nothing wrong with that is there.
Joseph Sammut
Jan 16th 2011, 17:31
"Genn tal-mohh" at its best. Spend billions on a dead end with nothing to offer but suck milk all the time! Gozitans' inconveniences are natural to island inhabitants which are only overcome by go to live on the main land. As a nation, we Maltese suffer the same inconveniences in relation to main land Europe. This is a geopraphic issue. The ferries here do a sterling job in bad weather: one should follow the Italian news to see how often ferries cancel trips in only Force 5/6 weather!
Pawlu Scicluna
Jan 16th 2011, 15:01
Some time ago we had heard about the interesting idea of using funicular cable cars.
Can you tell us how you can transport cars, goods transport and merchandise on funicular cable cars?
John Portelli
Jan 16th 2011, 13:25
How come someone says we would like a bridge to be built but no one has mentioned the cost involved. A bridge will cost over one billion plus euros. Has anyone thought of this. Where is the money going to come from. The EU. Please, let us all be reasonable here and talk with common sense.
Carmel Camilleri
Jan 16th 2011, 19:01
Mr Portelli the construction of a tunnel between Malta and Gozo can be funded by issueing shares and bonds, by financial aid from E.U. and by involving nations such as China and Japan which already had a try at this project several years ago