It is surprising that there is no mention in Angelo Xuereb’s letter (‘Efficient public transport’, May 30) of a harbour ferry network with connectivity to destinations on both sides of Valletta through a tunnel beneath the isthmus, which would provide a pleasant form of transport for all those commuters who live around the harbour. Not only would this shorten travelling distances and time, it would also relieve traffic congestion and pollution in the tangle of roads surrounding the harbour area.
Anybody using the existing Marsamxett harbour ferry service will vouch for the pleasantness of this way to travel to Valletta.
The recently-installed Barrakka lift makes this possibility even more attractive. It would also be of advantage to tourism.
Suggestions for precisely such a harbour ferry network have been made from time to time in the past, possibly even by Xuereb himself. This was also suggested in two recent Today Public Policy Institute publications, ‘Towards a low carbon society: the nation’s health, energy security and fossil fuels’ (paras 543 – 561) and ‘Into the future: socio-economic or security challenges for Malta’ (pp 21 22) available online at http://www.tppi.org.mt/~user2/.