Great new space
It’s always a great thing to see quality spaces sprouting. The Mdina ditch was in such shambles that we hardly knew it existed. Now Zap! It’s been transformed into what sounds like a glorious piece of relaxing space.
How great such plans are, what magic grips the land. But hang on a second. Like all good things in life they come with a bit of a minus—or a big minus. All good and cheery to have nice spaces for the gentry to walk around and play hide and seek. Even better when we have a few fountains to keep us cool and children entertained. But do we envisage all the problems? No, not the fact that the Mdina one doesn’t seem to have any fountains. There in the ditch just outside Greeks Gate was a football ground that might have been awful but it managed to keep in its fold a few cars for some of us who do not use Arriva.
Couldn’t someone have first thought of creating a few extra car spaces before turning the football pitch into an open space?. Or at least did anyone check what sort of effect such action will have? I love gardens and I love the fact that all the water that was being lost is being used to irrigate the trees and turf. But not everyone can make do without cars. Some of us have kids, grandkids and prams, buggies and bikes, trikes and sofas, thermos flasks and such important stuff to carry to gardens. We might even have a granddad and his means of transport or a granny on skates. You can’t take all this stuff—and God knows what else—on an Arriva bus.
So may I say—great thinking Mr Minister but not enough. Unless the idea is for us all—except the privileged ministers—to just ditch our cars.
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Manuel Mangani
Oct 7th 2012, 13:43
One aspect the article did not touch upon was the uprooting of several trees, the re-planting of some of them after a dose of heavy-duty and heavy-handed pruning, and the disappearance from the environs of the cypress trees which previously graced the area. The ivy which hosted a number of fauna was unceremoniously scraped off the garden wall with no respect for the fauna it hosted. It is at best a moot point whether the re-planted citrus trees have been afforded the right conditions for them to thrive, given that now they will be quite extensively exposed to the winds.
It appears that in the scale of values inspiring the powers-that-be visual considerations outweigh environmental ones, although it still defies comprehension how turf will be visually compatible with those majestic bastions
The number of parking-spaces, although admittedly a problem, should be the least of our concerns.
Charles Vassallo
Oct 6th 2012, 15:44
Mr. Calleja has brought up a good point here. It seems that local authorities do not give a tinker's cuss about us common citizens who MUST use their own private transport, as it seems to me that parking spaces are being reduced purposely. The motive...to make use of a third world public transport (dis)service which is Arriva.
Five star service, my left foot!
Mr ALBERT LEONE GANADO
Oct 4th 2012, 09:12
I see your point that a car park has been lost However this would have probably ended in the clutch of some private parking company. Mdina is so majestic that its ditch does not deserve to be spoiled by a car park in contrast to a beautiful garden to be enjoyed by all for free. There is a solution of course especially in summer when the number of visitors enjoying the cooler temperature at Rabat and Mdina increases. This is to improve the park and ride facilities at Ta Qali with more frequent buses to Rabat only a few minutes away. Of course the fare and parking charge must be reasonable and family friendly.
John Neville Ebejer
Oct 4th 2012, 08:05
Mr Calleja prefers to go picknicking in a car park then. Because the choice was that between having a car park or a green area.
Joshua G Giordimaina
Oct 4th 2012, 14:06
I think he makes a good point actually. Without taking away any merit from the project, what is the use of increasing the demand for a site but at the same time restricting the supply of those same services which facilitate the site's enjoyment? A typical example is the President's Kitchen Garden in Attard. Beautiful place. My daughter absolutely loves it. But the last time I was there, I had to literally drive around the block for more than 20 minutes to find a parking spot - and I wasn't trying to park right at the entrance. Try that with a 2 year old in the backseat :)
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Oct 3rd 2012, 11:44
I think you have hit the nail on the head- there is a concerted effort by some minister or two to force us to start using the buses. Of course, this will never work as people will always prefer using their own for the many reasons and more that you name. But do the minsters care? I don;lt think so. In fact they could have cleaned up that football ground, make some form of embellishment and left as as decent looking car park. By the way, would you know from whom government is buying all the new trees? Whoever it is, is making quite a packet at the moment.
Jon Vercellono
Oct 3rd 2012, 11:34
I think that the majority of people who come to visit Mdina do so for a casual visit and do not bring a lot of appurtenances along. Quite so, many people do need a car, but not to go absolutely everywhere - Mdina, and other historic sites are very easy to visit by bus; and the 1% who require a car to bring the elderly (those who cannot use Arriva) ialong should have no problems finding adequate parking.
Antonio Anastasi
Oct 3rd 2012, 21:00
Mr.Vercellono. I do not think that you ever visited Mdina and Howards garden on a Sunday or Public holiday. Its packed with families, and that goes with them, bicycles, skateboards, pushchairs, baby, grandparents and the football.
Please choose the reason of your report below: