Joe F. Micallef (May 28) who puts forward very good reasons for having a local council for Buġibba and Qawra. I could not agree more! The present St Paul's Bay local council has its hands full and this would relieve it of some of the workload. To be fair, the new mayor has only been elected very recently, and therefore, things may change at a faster pace than previously.
The state of neglect is unbelievable. There are plans for developing the Qawra coastline that will surely transform the area.
This plan will be costly and is also disputed by some environmentalists.
Please allow me to put forward suggestions that, if implemented, would cost next to nothing, and will surely give a much-needed uplift to the area.
Before going for such large scale development, why not spruce up the existing street furniture in the area? Take for example the palm trees that line the pavement.
The fronds are turning yellow, and drooping down so low that pedestrians have to keep away from them, and so the pavement becomes too crowded unnecessarily.
An "expertly" done job of pruning will revitalise the poor trees and, at the same time, allow more room for strollers. While at it, why not spray with pesticide the bushes lining the same soil patches?
These are infested with green flies that give them an awful look. The railings on the same promenade are currently being restored.
The way this is going on, I am afraid, it will go on for ages. The job can be done more efficiently than it is now.
Why not fabricate a number of spare, similar gratings and replace them, say four at a time, in a single day's job?
This will do away with unsightly temporary gratings, dust chips and boundary safety tape that stay there for days.
The evening strollers would hardly notice the difference from the previous day, but in a week's time the upgrading process would be remarkable.
In the same issue of The Times, Alfred Vella wrote a letter about public transport efficiency, better described as "inefficiency". I do not need to repeat what is well known. When will someone take action?
There is also a report on the formal notice served by the Lands Department to the Sliema businesses that obstruct the pavement. One hopes that this notice will also be served to the offending outlets in the Buġibba/Qawra areas too.
I am sure that other civil-minded citizens, even if only summer residents, can put forward their own suggestions.
If it pleases the local council and relevant authorities, let them not reply with rather offending comments like: "Oh! These summer residents are at it again!" We mean well, because we love the place, and would like to see it prosper.