STATEMENT BY THE MINISTRY FOR TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS

With reference to press reports quoting the Marsa Mayor as saying that Government is not paying any attention to the Marsa Local Council, as well as querying the fact that the Roads Directorate had spent around Lm 50,000 on the resurfacing of various roads at Marsa, the Ministry for Transport and Communications would like to state that the Marsa Mayor could have easily checked, and the Roads Directorate would have been more than willing to give him all the information and details required.

In fact, road surfacing works were carried out by the Roads Directorate at Triq is-Serkin, Triq il-Gerejja, Triq l-Istallel and the road near the Maltapost plc Head Office.

Recently, work has been carried out on part of Triq it-Tigrija, and the access road to the car park. These works had cost around Lm 50,000.

Other works are planned to be carried out to reconstruct the road leading from the carpark to the adjacent roundabout at Triq Valletta, Qormi; which will amount to another Lm 18,000.

It must be pointed out that recently, works have been started on the construction of culverts and other road works at Triq Fra Diego and Triq is-Sajjieda, amounting to around Lm 60,000; and urgent repairs have also been undertaken on the collapsed walls adjacent to Triq Dicembru 13, that had amounted to around Lm 10,000.

A new pelican crossing has been constructed at the end of Triq it-Tigrija, across the Marsa-Hamrun Bypass; while the reconstruction of centre strips in Triq Dicembru 13 have also been started. The first phase has been completed and this work had amounted to around Lm 20,000. The contract for the second phase has been awarded costing about Lm 15,000. This second phase will also include the construction of new pelican crossings in Triq Dicembru 13.

A contract has been issued for the construction of a pedestrian under-pass to link Triq it-Tigrija with the Maria Regina Church area, and works will commence when the necessary planning permits are issued. This project is estimated to cost around Lm 70,000.

Taking all this into consideration, it seems rather surprising that the Mayor of Marsa has chosen to put himself with the list of those who have focused on one particular street, while forgetting works carried out in the rest of the locality.