Transport Malta's recent recommendation to the planning authority to refuse the proposed alternative route to service the application for the building of a yacht marina, hotel and 250 flats and villas at Hondoq ir-Rummien has been welcomed by a number of environmental organisations.

The organisations - Moviment Harsien Hondoq, the Qala Council, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Ramblers, Nature Trust, Din L-Art Helwa, Friends of the Earth, Wirt Ghawdex, Greenhouse Malta, Ghaqda Universita Ghawdxin and Youth for the Environment, said in a statement that common sense had finally prevailed.

"It is indeed heartening to note that just as the Environment Directorate found the EIA biased in favour of the project, TM also concluded that there are serious shortcomings in the Traffic Impact Statement," it said.

The organisations said that the traffic count was flawed by way of the location where it was carried out, far out of the Qala village core, when in reality the project would generate unacceptable additional traffic in the centre of Qala.

T proposed traffic scheme was also inadequate.

The NGOs invited those who had not yet signed a petition to save Hondoq to do so at: http://raxerri.com/soshondoq/ .