Joseph Grech, Marsalforn
Before a tunnel, complete the terminal
The dream of connecting the island of Gozo with that of Malta via a tunnel could well be realised some time in the future and I wish it well.
What is urgently needed right now is a decent terminal at Ċirkewwa to mirror the one erected at Mġarr a few years ago. The Ċirkewwa reclaimed area has been surrounded for many years by a wall presumably for construction of a proper terminal but there is no evidence of any work going on. Significantly, nothing has appeared in the Budget for this year for any expenditure in connection with this terminal.
Passengers disembarking from the ferry at Ċirkewwa have to make a long circuitous march to the buses, whatever the weather. Passengers arriving at the terminal to board the boat are faced with a primitive structure which offers no protection from the elements, not even basic personal necessities or any other comfort whatsoever.
The Ċirkewwa terminal is obviously very low on the priority list of projects. It is immensely important that this be given the priority it deserves. Talk of a tunnel should not sideline the importance of having an adequate terminal constructed without delay.
It is important for Gozitans and to both external and internal tourists visiting Gozo.
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Stephen McIntosh
Feb 10th 2011, 23:37
A good point and well made. Another important consideration is health & safety. To have pedestrians and vehicles in the same area, is a recipe for disaster, especially since many of the drivers will have their minds on other things when disembarking . I would be interested to see the collision and 'near miss' statistics. As H & S officer at the Horizon biscuit factory it was seen as a priority to keep traffic and pedestrians apart at all times.
Franco J Scicluna
Feb 10th 2011, 18:51
The Cirkewwa terminal should have been first.Its there that the Gozitan commuter needs it most.As things are, the Mgarr terminal is already obsolete.Should another company take over from Gozo Channel , bringing along its ships,am sure that the terminals would not be adequate for their vessels, unless it leases the same ships.
d.attard
Feb 10th 2011, 16:02
Gozo must stop blaming the next thing and get down to a holistic vision for its success.
There are many a succesful islands that have remained an island. Since the Bancinu days we had new and larger ships, all weather ports but we remain hankering for the next thing whilst our society remains entrenched in rhetoric and complacency in contrast to gozitan individual superlative creativity. This tunnel business smells like your next play with politics toy that will comfortably lead to an electoral promise underpinned by the usual razmataz without having to put one cent where the political mouth is. Gozo deserves much better than this possibly deviant playaround.
Tony Pace
Feb 10th 2011, 14:04
The tunnel is simply another red herring to deviate the peoples attention from the innumerable problems that Gonzipn has got Malta and us into.
Joseph Calleja
Feb 10th 2011, 15:45
Mr Pace I tend to agree with you. Maybe The Cirkewwa Ferry Terminal was nothing but a political promise and it seems that is what it was. Come to think of it I thought the MP has said that this Terminal would be finished by 2013. This project was also supposed to fix the dangerous road leading to Marfa. They also said something about the New Lift at the Barrakka ta Fuq. ( Hoss fl-ilma). The least they could do is build a decent public convenience( potty) to accommodate the ferry passengers etc. I guess the Opera House Project has higher priority. After all Valletta is where the PM is?
John Portelli
Feb 10th 2011, 11:30
Right on Mr. Grech. Let's do what is important and what is fantasy. Let us stop wasting time addressing projects that are not feasible and concentrate on projects that we need running right away. The cirkewwa terminal is a big must that is required to be completed. I wonder what tourist say about us when they see what kind of infrastructure we have - lack of proper services as is the much needed Cirkewwa terminal, and given the fact that we are part of the EU and not some third world country.