Would a single one-way lane under the Gozo Channel some 10 to 12 kilometres long really take 12 minutes to cross? That would mean an average speed of 50 to 60 km/h. By the same token, it would take 30 minutes to get to Marsascala from Ċirkewwa.
Even with a two-lane tunnel, one lane in each direction, the cost would rise well above €300 million due to the fact that geological studies are incomplete and outdated.
The Marsa-Delimara tunnel cost double the projected amount. And if it is proposed that a three- or four-lane road requires a hard shoulder, how much would that cost?
An expert said that geological studies take years to complete. Take the Channel Tunnel between the UK and France, for example, which seemed to go on forever. If we do take a decision to go for it, then we should just do it, unlike what has happened in the past.
In the meantime, why not talk about improving the transport between the two islands. Gozo will become an old people’s home not because there is no permanent link but because there is a lack of efficient transport.
Why not really liberalise transport between Malta and Gozo? Competition has resulted in a revolution in the tourism industry with tourists coming to Malta on low-cost airlines, and we have benefitted too with low airfares. Why not apply this to transport between Malta and Gozo?
Ferries and catamarans could take us not only to Ċirkewwa but also to Xemxija, Pietà, the Three Cities and the Grand Harbour. I envisage connections too between terminals in Malta, which would help to alleviate the traffic problem. But obviously, the infrastructure supporting it has to be prepared.
Why not also consider introducing small fixed-wing aircraft? A pilot friend of mine once wrote in a letter to a newspaper that you only need to double the length of the existing runway in Xewkija to make it possible. Apparently, plans for such transport have been shelved.
Also, Gozo’s natural environment needs to be improved. For example, the Ħondoq quarry could be turned into a family park like the one in Marsascala. We lack these facilities.
Can I believe Gozo Business Chamber president Michael Grech when he says he is against a block of apartments and that he is in favour of keeping the villages separate when I have never heard him protest against the plundering of Gozo’s natural heritage?
I hope more Gozitans make their voice heard because it lead to a Gozo as nature intended it.