Much has been said and written lately over the news that the government has decided to go for the option of a tunnel as the best way to permanently link the two islands. This is something the Gozo Business Chamber has been harping on for quite some time now.
For the Chamber, the issue of a permanent link came more to the forefront when, during EU accession talks in late 2002, we did not manage to get the NUTS II status we wanted for Gozo but ended up with a NUTS III status for the whole Maltese archipelago. This meant that the advantages we had hoped Gozo would get as a NUTS II region, to take it to the same level of GDP as that of Malta, were blown away. Gozo was and still is trailing Malta in GDP figures.
The Chamber has decided to commission a scientific report by economist Gordon Cordina. To ensure the report was done in the most professional way it was decided that Dr Cordina would accompany a Chamber delegation to Norway to obtain first-hand experience and information on how the Norwegians tackle the issue of tunnelling, especially when it comes to those underwater.
One has to keep in mind that, apart from having already done about 40 underwater tunnels in Norway over the last 40 years, with more in the pipeline, they have also exported their expertise to many other countries not just in Europe but even as far away as South America.
The Chamber also invited a delegation from Transport Malta to join the trip, which the regulator accepted and also agreed to contribute financially in the commissioning of the report.
A number of meetings were held with various experts and authorities in the city of Trondheim and on the island of Hitra, which has a population of about 4,500 inhabitants and is connected to mainland Norway via a 5.65-kilometre-long underwater tunnel.
The incremental economic benefits of a tunnel option over the ferries would exceed €600 million
The report commissioned deals with the options available in transport facilities between the islands. It looks at three options: a bridge, a tunnel and the status quo, that is, the ferries. The benefits of going for a tunnel have come out clearly in the report, which has just been completed by Dr Cordina and which, hopefully, will be made available to the public in the next few weeks. The report still envisages that the ferries will continue to operate at 20 per cent capacity.
The whole nation will benefit from the project. Let us take a few examples.
We all know that Gozo General Hospital will be enlarged and that a medical school, run by Barts of London, is being set up in Gozo. A bigger hospital in Gozo can serve to ease a substantial amount of pressure off Mater Dei Hospital because, with a permanent link, it would be very easy for people from the north of Malta to go to Gozo for their medical needs.
The same thing would apply to the law courts. The new law courts in Gozo will not only be having five halls instead of two but will, for the first time, also have a permanent judge based there who would be able to hear civil cases.
We also have the Gozo University Campus and, again, this can also serve for certain specialised courses to be run from Gozo and create much needed space in the University in Malta.
These are just a few of the social benefits such a project can bring with it.
From an economic point of view, one of the most important things would be that of saving the time one spends in the crossing.
A lot of time is wasted in crossing and time has always meant money, even if that time is for leisure. This cost runs into millions of euros.
We must also bear in mind what will happen when, in a few years’ time, the ferries have to be changed. The ferries’ lifespan would not go beyond 30 years at the utmost.
Dr Cordina’s report estimates that, over a 20-year period, the incremental economic benefits of a tunnel option over the ferries would exceed €600 million.
Unfortunately, this country suffers a lot from lack of self-belief, especially when it comes to government projects. This mentality has to change once and for all.
The country does have competent and bright people who can take the country up to the next level. We can always import the expertise where necessary.
This time, there is no political issue on the project being proposed so let us, for once, move together as one nation and create a project that should serve as a showcase to the rest of the Mediterranean region.
Michael Grech is president of the Gozo Business Chamber