Every now and again we start debating whether a permanent connection between the two islands should be constructed. Over a month ago, the Labour government informed the public that a mega Chinese State-owned company will be spending about €4 million on carrying out a feasibility study in connection with the proposed bridge between Malta and Gozo.
I have to admit I love Gozo as it is and all of my four children approve any suggestion by myself to cross over to the sister island and enjoy some quality time there as a family. Needless to say, the time spent queuing up to get on the ferry boat at both Ċirkewwa and Mġarr harbours can sometimes become very tedious.
The time spent waiting might not be so much of a problem in winter than it is during the summer months.
Our society is engaging in an ever-increasing culture of eliminating any form of waiting time. Similar to manufacturing systems, we need a just-in-time solution. In the context of Gozo, we need a just-in-time link because time is money or, rather, loss of patience!
The absence of a bridge or tunnel has, to date, left Gozo intact
Through my lecturing interactions with a few Gozitan students I have come to sympathise with their struggle to get to the University. It is a well-known fact that their parents had to invest in a property close to campus to eliminate the strenuous daily crossing. Yet, rightly so, they do go back Friday night and come back Monday morning, sometimes having to make an early start to arrive on time for a lecture that kicks off at 8am.
Recently, during a few visits I had to the sister island I had the chance of sharing a few thoughts with parents and relatives of the same Gozitan students I referred to above. It transpired that they are mainly concerned with the lack of employment opportunities available for their children, especially those related to their chosen field of study.
I immediately posed the question whether building a bridge or a tunnel could create the much-desired well remunerated employment opportunities for Gozitan youth. Is it possible that a bridge or tunnel could have a spin off in creating a unique financial hub in Gozo?
I wasn’t surprised to learn that notwithstanding the lack of specialised jobs all were wary that the construction of a permanent link between the two islands could ruin the unique landscape.
Every time I visit Gozo with my family I tell my children that Malta was once similar to it. Every town or village were virtually separated by barren land. I think that few realise that even where festas are concerned, church celebrations are still conducted the way they used to happen in Malta 35-40 years ago.
Yes, the absence of a bridge or tunnel has, to date, left Gozo intact and is a living heritage of some cultural and spiritual aspects that once endowed Maltese festas.
Once the outcome of the report by the Chinese company is made known, whatever the government decides to do in accordance with its electoral manifesto, I strongly suggest that a nationwide referendum be conducted. This is an issue that not only affects residents in Gozo but also visitors such as me and my family.
In the meantime, I feel that an immediate solution is to identify other possible more efficient means of crossing over to Gozo. Is it possible, for example, to introduce a catamaran service from the Grand Harbour?
I guess that would only take about 40 minutes apart from providing breath-taking views of the island’s northeast coast line.
A famous native song refers to Gozo as a diamond in the Mediterranean. Let’s all do our best to keep it that way.
Ivan Grixti lectures financial accounting at the University of Malta