The daftest idea of the lot

If there were a category in the Guiness Book of Records for the largest number of daft ideas then I think Malta would win it hands down. Apart from Lawrence Gonzi’s folly at City Gate and Austin Gatt’s gaffes with Arriva, the bendy buses and the bridge to nowhere at Grand Harbour – and no doubt others – we are now presented with the daftest idea of the lot. A tunnel to Gozo!

If ever there was a non starter it is this. Apart from the suggested cost which you can safely double, add on 20 per cent and then quadruple, the safety, maintenance and security of such a project are so out of proportion to the needs of the island that no entrepreneur would ever look at it.

So why is the government? For a start the long approach of the entry and exit roads for such a deep tunnel would need to start at Mosta and come out somewhere slightly to the South of Sardinia! All right so I exaggerate but I am sure you get my drift. There are many people who would never enter a tunnel especially one of this length. The risk of a fire in a tunnel is high. The devastation it would cause has been witnessed many times viz the English Channel tunnel and the Swiss tunnels.

If there was ever an earthquake the last place I would want to be is in a tunnel and we are in an earthquake zone. If, and it is a big if, the Gozitans wish to move into the 21st century with all that entails then the answer is a bridge. A bridge can be self financing within 15 years. After that it is all profit. Check out the QE11 bridge in London. A nominal toll is all that is needed.

The bridge can be constructed elsewhere and floated into place causing the least disturbance to normal life. It could hop step via Comino. There are some beautiful bridges throughout the world which do not detract from the environment at all. A bridge could carry up to four lanes of traffic perhaps one each way for a commercial and one each way for private vehicles.

There could be a passenger walkway. Imagine that! A Sunday stroll from Ċirkewwa to Mġarr. Maybe even with a pedestrian only step off onto Comino. There could be a toll for visitors which would pay for four or five wardens who would ensure the island is kept clean and free of hawkers and traders.

The big question is do the people of Gozo and Malta really want a fixed link? Do the Gozitans want to sacrifice their Utopian peaceful albeit old-fashioned lifestyle for the hysterical, frantic, self interested, uncaring life of the 21st century? For many, a bridge would be a major improvement, to others it would be a bridge too far. Either way, if the decision is for a fixed link then a tunnel would be exorbitant and a constant drain on resources whereas a bridge would be self sufficient.

But before any teams of consultants are paid to look into the idea let’s get the roads sorted. Let’s get the bendy buses off the roads and smaller route buses in place. Let’s sort out the chaos that is Valletta bus station, let’s … let’s…