Bisazza Street: origins and observations (2)

I would like to comment on observations made by Minister George Pullicino with regard to the benefits accrued to Bisazza Street, Sliema in his Blogtime (June 6).

He says that the idea to use Qui-Si-Sana Road as an alternative to Bisazza Street was that of the first Sliema local council. What he omits to say is that this is now not an alternative route but the only route, therefore I see no parallel.

He also quotes a Maltese office worker of Bisazza Street who told him that he could now at least open his window. Spare us this please. Perhaps what the minister should have said was that while the offices of Bisazza Street were opening their windows the residents of Qui-Si-Sana Road were having to shut them. In addition, while accepting that Qui-Si-Sana Road is much better “ventilated” than Bisazza Street, having only one side of it built up, it is pertinent to point out that Qui-Si- Sana Road has an incline gradient. This means that vehicles are accelerating along it with the consequence that exhaust emissions are greater.

In addition, due to this acceleration the residents will also have to put up with the added noise pollution which everybody seems to have failed to mention. On the same day as the column appeared, on TVM news an official from the Malta Environment and Planning Authority spoke about a noise mapping exercise that they have carried out around Malta. I have requested the Sliema council to request Mepa to carry out such a study on Qui-Si- Sana Road under the new conditions, I think that as residents we deserve it.

Incidentally, I have also brought it to the attention of the council that for us residents, when using our garages against the traffic flow, we have to travel the length of Qui-Si- Sana Road practically twice over to head in the right direction. So much for the control of greenhouse gases. Just keep on piling the pollution... this is Qui-Si-Sana, there are no shops, there only residents.

Furthermore when we exit and intend to head towards Gżira we have to make a dangerous U-turn at the junction with Tower Road, a very dangerous manoeuvre. Why wasn’t a roundabout constructed at that point to make it safer at least?

It is, however, comforting to know that in three months’ time the destiny of the residents of Qui-Si- Sana Road rides on the decisions of the Bisazza Street commercial community.