The entrance to Valletta is finally starting to look much better, now that work on the Piano project has almost finished. The buses are still a bit of a nuisance but the matter should be sorted soon. Pity the Central Bank project to build a new extension within the St James Counterguard bastions drags on. A spokesman said late last year it was scheduled to be completed by the third quarter of 2015. That is still a long way away and is therefore likely to stick out like a sore thumb within the bigger picture of a majestic city entrance.
Monumental oversight
To mark her first anniversary in office, President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca on Saturday laid wreaths at the foot of monuments dedicated to late former presidents. It was indeed a pity, if not an outright insult to Malta’s first president and his family, that there are missing letters in the wording below the effigy.
Security services
It has been announced that the Armed Forces of Malta will not be providing security at the new Parliament building, expected to start being used in May, because of a lack of human resources. After the AFM commander presumably put his foot down, saying a resolute ‘no’, the Office of the Speaker said it was exploring the possibility of adopting the House of Commons model in the UK, where security is provided by the police force. Does it mean the police have officers to spare but not the army? And why cannot a private security firm be contracted?
Floating malls
Kudos to Projects Malta for banning any commercial kiosks on the proposed floating islands. The sale of food and beverages will only be allowed via boats moored to the floating platforms. One hopes this will not go overboard, ending up with the whole thing being surrounded by boats offering all sorts of wares for sale.
Due credit
Credit should be given where credit is due and, in this case, it is also a matter of international prestige. Some authority or, preferably, the Valletta local council should hasten to ensure that a well-designed notice briefly explaining the Renzo Piano project is prominently placed at the entrance to the capital.
Horse’s pace
Horse-drawn cabs, or karozzini, in Maltese, can be a tourist attraction if managed well and the animals are treated better than is often the case. However, there is no place for them on main and arterial roads, often slowing down traffic to a snail’s pace. Also, what happened to plans to have the wheels of karozzini covered with rubber to stop the damage being done to the Silent City’s paving?
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