Keep Mellieha public land public, PD insists
Partit Demokratiku yesterday said it was dismayed at how Transport Malta, “handed over part of a Mellieha arterial road that falls under government’s jurisdiction to land speculators so as to accommodate the permit submitted from these businessmen to the Panning Authority.”
This Mellieha bypass serves as a thoroughfare between Malta and Gozo, PD said in a statement.
“Public land has a very high strategic value to the public. This could be classified in terms of economic, environmental, scenic, recreational, cultural or historical value and is usually a combination of these. It is paramount that public land remains public for the benefit of maintaining and improving the quality of life of the Maltese public.
“To camouflage this give away, it is being stated that the by-pass is being upgraded and from its present surface area of four lanes, is to be divided into a dead end service road to serve the entrance of this new block and four much narrower road lanes at a minor junction with Mizieb road.”
PD said: “PA permits are subject to third party rights and thus expects that government objects to this permit.”
It said the Public Lands Authority is duty bound to serve public interest. “It is strange indeed how public land is being taken to serve as a service road solely for the private needs of the future residents of this block when the main entrance could have been designed to be accessed from Triq l-Isbark tal-Francizi.”
It is envisaged that to upgrade this arterial road, public land will be taken from an adjacent Natura 2000 site to make way for space to be created for bicycle lanes, pavements and the Mizieb junction, which in itself is an excellent idea had proper use of already developed public land been the case.
It also seems to be the new trend for government institutions, “to bulldoze over people’s rights doing away with proper public consultations,” the party said.
PD also said the “lack of public outcry” from the Nationalist Opposition which did not back MPs that were elected from this constituency “insinuates collaboration with Joseph Muscat’s government.”
“PD is of the opinion that both PL and PN are collaborators in this daylight robbery to the detriment of the people’s assets and possibly road safety.”