Given the number of EU cities choosing to exclude vehicles from our midst, and even banning cars from idling near schools, is it not just dumb to build a car park under a playground?

[attach id=709314 size="medium" align="right"]Photo: The Elle Roberta Foundation[/attach]

I owe it to the late George Debono, a long-time critic of Sliema’s scheme, to point out to the Planning Authority that there is no way such a scheme that brings more cars into Sliema, placing vehicle emissions right under the noses of children, can be considered an enhancement of recreational or leisure facilities. Recreational facilities, I might add, that already exist.

Who are they trying to kid with this latest greenwash?

Let’s forget for a moment that these extra parking spaces will increase the risk to those crossing the road to reach it or to cyclists using the flat efficient route along Tower Road, a risk Transport Malta chose to ignore.

Rather, let’s concentrate on the increased vehicle emissions and the very real possibility of a Maltese Elle Roberta class action. Elle (picture) was an energetic, fun-loving nine-year-old asthmatic girl from the UK whose death has allegedly been linked directly to vehicle emissions and the subject of a very strong case against the UK government. Do we want that here? Given the number of pollution-related deaths here, does the government want that kind of liability?

I understand that Sliema has a long-suffering parking problem brought about by lethargy and unwillingness to deal with far too many cars but the only way that combining a children’s play area with a 300-space car park could be a good thing is if it was purely used by Sliema residents, only driving electric vehicles, combined with suitable traffic-calming measures (after all, there is the Kappara Bypass now) and that the resulting ‘on road’ parking spaces were released to make open public spaces for residents to enjoy. The 3,000 motorists driving into Sliema hoping they are one of the lucky one per cent to get a space on any given day will only make things far worse. It would be far better for Sliema (given that a metro is not viable) that they park outside and bus, bike or walk in.