The construction of a smaller, neater bus terminus by the bastion walls of St James Ditch, outside Valletta has been given the green light by the planning authority.
The new terminus will have just 14 parking bays instead of the present 41 around the Tritons Fountain outside City Gate. It will cover about 3,500 square metres, down from the present 9,500.
The kiosks around the fountain will be relocated to the ditch and the new structures, to stand between the bays, will be made out of glass and aluminium. They will also have canopies extending outward to provide shelter to passengers.
The area around the fountain will be turned into a pedestrian-only zone, in keeping with architect Renzo Piano’s plans for the entrance to the city. Passengers will alight at the gardens in front of the Phoenicia Hotel, also known as Il-Biskuttin, and board from the station at St James Ditch.
The new terminus project is part of the public transport reform, under which the buses will be operated privately. The company in line to win the contract says there will be a high turnover rate of buses, with passengers waiting a maximum of 10 minutes, hence the need for far fewer bays.
“The new operator promised that the new system will be so fast that the 10 minute waiting time is conservative,” said Chris Paris, CEO of Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation, which is in charge of the terminus project.
The public transport reform will decentralise the current system so that Valletta will no longer remain the main hub for the majority of bus routes. Other major hubs – at Mater Dei Hospital, Luxol and Paola, among others – will be included in the network.
The project was recommended for approval because its impact would be minimal and a “significant” improvement over the present cluttered terminus, said planning authority case officer Joe Borg.
Earlier this year, Transport Minister Austin Gatt had said the total cost was expected to be just over €3 million, 66 per cent below the original proposal, made some years ago, for the terminus to be moved underground at City Gate.
Dr Gatt said discussions were still to be held with the hawkers who occupy the ditch on Sundays in a bid to find a suitable alternative location for the open-air market.