Interview | Sunday, 30 August 2009

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Sliema residents, unite

Former UHM secretary-general Joe Morana has a found a new cause: the plight of Sliema’s residents at the mercy of unrestrained development

James Debono

Having relinquished his official posts in the Union Haddiema Maqghudin, Joe Morana started to spend more time at home, which brought the plight of the Sliema residents to his attention. He has since been investing his time in standing up for the resident in the fight against the three-headed beast of over-development, air pollution and traffic.
What prompted the formation of the Sliema Residents Association is the realisation that life in Sliema will become unbearable with all the new developments envisioned for the locality.
“Tigné is a case in point. We were faced with a situation where hundreds of apartments and a number of commercial centres were approved. People rightly lament the parking situation in Sliema. Just imagine what will happen when all these projects start operating.”
But is the new organisation crying over spilt milk, considering that big projects like MIDI and Fort Cambridge have already been approved by the authorities?
“We might be late but it’s better late than never, because if development continues to increase, the situation will precipitate. It is already bad, it can only get worse.”
Morana quotes a Transport Authority study which shows how the section of Rudolph Street from Mrabat street to Manoel Dimech Street is overloaded by 22% in the peak hours between 7:30 and 8:30am. “The same problem probably exists at the Strand, where people experience traffic jams.”
Morana recalls that together with Adrian Gatt – the other founder of the organisation – he would write letters to the press highlighting these problems. “For us this was not enough. We wanted to do something more concrete and form a resident’s association. In this way, instead of making sporadic complaints on separate issues, residents will find a unified voice to tackle issues in a holistic way.”
But isn’t the elected local council already performing this task?
“Personally, I am very disappointed with the council, especially when it comes to traffic management. I raised this issue two years ago, when the council agreed to come up with a holistic traffic management for Sliema. But subsequently they decided that this exercise would be too costly, and they asked the Transport Authority to conduct the studies. Two years later, we have nothing.”
Morana contends that instead of addressing the traffic problem holistically, the Sliema council is limiting itself to proposing a residents’ parking scheme which fails to address the roots of the problem.
But isn’t this scheme a positive development for residents who cannot find a parking space upon returning home from work?
“Many localities face this problem but we cannot break Malta up into separate republics. The residential parking scheme will not solve the parking problems of every single resident. We are tackling the problem from the wrong end.”
Morana compares traffic to a wild beast.
“If we try to tame traffic by restraining it from the beast’s tail, the beast will simply strike back at us with its claws and fangs.”
And according to Morana, Sliema residents are confronting a three-headed beast – for development, traffic problems and air pollution are three interconnected problems.
“If we do not change our transport patterns, every new building in Sliema will simply increase traffic in the locality. The only way forward is to restrain new development in Sliema, otherwise we will have more grid locks, pollution and less parking spaces.”
Neither is the construction of more car parks in Sliema the solution. Since Sliema’s main roads are already overloaded, more car parks will simply exacerbate traffic problems.
“Car parks generate more traffic. If ADT documents already show a grid lock situation it is useless to build car parks.”
The solution lies in encouraging alternative means of transport. “In Valletta, to address this problem, the government has developed a park and ride system. Why don’t we do something similar?”
While residents rightly expect to park next to their house when they come back home from work, the authorities must find alternative ways through which tourists, those who work in Sliema and those who visit Sliema for entertainment and restaurants can access the locality.
Public transport plays an important role in this process but he complains that the public transport system is still inefficient.
“It does not make sense to pay the fare every time one rides a bus, when many times we spend just a couple minutes on a stage in between journeys.”
Another solution proposed by Morana is to encourage the use of water taxis to exploit the advantage of being surrounded by sea.
Morana complains that despite problems related to air pollution, which affects the old and young alike, public opinion remains focused on creating more parking spaces.
“We have a lop-sided sense of priorities as we are putting convenience before health and the Sliema council is perpetuating this state of affairs by focusing its energies on parking instead of air pollution.”
But don’t the people get the council they deserve?
“People were not informed that the air in Sliema is polluted.”
Morana quotes a reply by the European Commission to a parliamentary question made by the European Greens which revealed that according to the annual air quality report for 2007 submitted to the Commission by Malta in December 2008, Malta’s PM10 limit values continued to be exceeded in the Sliema and Gzira areas, while NO2 concentrations had exceeded the limit, which comes into force at the beginning of 2010, by 25%.
“I am disappointed that this issue was never raised by Maltese MEPs and were it not for the Greens, which have no Maltese MEPs, we would never have got this information.”
In his reply, commissioner Stavros Dimas revealed that the Commission is currently considering launching infringement proceedings against Malta for non-compliance with PM10 limit values.”
He now welcomes the fact that MEPA has embarked on a public consultation on the implementation of the EU directive which regulates fine dust.
“Without the stick of the European Union nothing happens,” laments Morana.
Morana also favours more pedestrianised zones in Sliema.
“The business community is not thinking in the long-term on this issue. Most commercial centres in other countries are pedestrianised and people visit these places not just to shop but to entertain themselves. This creates a relaxed environment where one does not worry about children crossing the street.”
According to Morana, it does not make sense to have traffic next to the new St Anne Square, which replaced the Magic Kiosk. “People enjoying views of the fountain in the new square are still gulping poisonous fumes into their lungs.”
Apart from St Anne Square, very little has been invested by the government to make Sliema a more liveable town. “The central government cashed in millions from the sale of the Holiday Inn. But how much of this money was invested in Sliema’s infrastructure?” asks Morana.
He also complains that instead of investing in the road network connecting Sliema and other localities, the government is proposing a new road in Ghadira.
Morana refers to plans to upgrade the Kappara junction, coupled with the construction of the Manoel Island link road and the widening of the Strand which would result in a significant diversion of traffic from residential roads such as Rue D’Argens and Reggie Miller Street, creating a link between Regional Road and Tigné.
“This project has been shelved and instead, the government is giving priority to a road in Ghadira. Instead of addressing real traffic and infrastructural problems of a heavily populated locality, we have embarked on a road which is not even justified by any scientific study.”
But how representative is the new organisation? Can’t everyone form an organisation and claim to represent residents?
“The SRA is not a closed club. We have made a public invitation to Sliema residents to join. Our membership is open to anyone who lives in Sliema irrespective of nationality or place of birth.”
The new organisation is presently run by a provisional committee and will soon be holding its first general meeting.
How does the organisation view the newer Sliema residents, many of which live in new developments which cause some of the problems mentioned by the organisation?
“We do not blame anyone for finding a place to live in. What we find strange is that despite all the new development, 25% of buildings in Sliema are vacant.”

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