The Pietà bus lane project will go ahead as planned despite the Ombudsman’s recommendation to stop the works and change the design to one that better ensures residents’ wellbeing.

“Transport Malta appreciates the opinion expressed in the Office of the Ombudsman’s report, but nonetheless reiterates its position that this project has been designed in order to achieve the intended purposes outlined in the [EU-funded]... programme,” a spokeswoman for the authority said.

We want safety. The current design is not offering this

Those purposes include increasing traffic efficiency and improving the public transport system “by giving priority to public transport routes to reduce journey times, in line with the government policy,” she said.

But residents said they would insist on the project plans being revised and were “looking into ways to take the matter further”, resident Marcus Muscat-Baron said.

He said residents were not against having a bus lane but wanted a safer design since the current plans meant buses would pass by very close to their homes.

“We want safety. The current design is not offering this and it’s not just us who are saying this: so did the Ombudsman and the National Commission Persons with Disability.”

Works started this summer to convert the service road along Msida Seafront into a bus lane.

Buses driving along from Pietà in the direction of Msida, will use the lane leading to the Msida bus stop.

Last week Times of Malta reported that the Ombudsman had recommended the project be stopped and Transport Malta submit a planning application for a design that better ensures residents’ health and wellbeing.

The original design for the bus lane consisted of removing a row of trees, allowing for more space between buses and buildings. Transport Malta had applied for this design using what is called a development notification order (DNO).

But the Malta Environment and Planning Authority did not allow the trees to be removed. Transport Malta then “took the easy way out”, according to the Ombudsman, and changed the plans to retain the trees, which meant a narrower lane to be shared by buses, cars, pedestrians and residents’ on-street parking.

Now that no trees were to be removed and there were no changes to the road alignment, the authority did not need a DNO so it went ahead with the revised plans.

“While Transport Malta does not appear to have acted outside the law... it did, however, act inconsiderately and insensitively to the detriment of the residents’ health and wellbeing by not using all alternative Mepa application procedures at its disposal to obtain approval for the initial concept to be implemented,” the report said.

Apart from being detrimental to residents’ quality of life, it impacted the efficiency of the EU-funded project, the report said. When asked for a reaction to the Ombudsman’s report, the Transport Malta spokeswoman said the authority had been given until October 13 to submit a reply to his office.

“Hence, while seeking legal advice about the line of action it intends to take, TM will follow procedure and reply officially through its lawyers.

“TM would also like to underline the fact that is has strictly acted within the parameters of the law,” she said.