The race-track pledge
Motorsports enthusiasts have long been calling for a race-track in Malta, with electoral manifestos over recent years pointing to the eventual creation of one.
The fact that the announcement came so close to an election is seen as a vote-grabbing exercise, however for motorsports enthusiasts the proposal has been a long-time coming.
While the idea of a track was perhaps one of the more controversial proposals over the years due to, among other things, concerns raised about the potential take-up of ODZ land, the government seems to have found a way to avoid such criticism by choosing Ħal Far as the proposed site.
This week, the Labour government pulled the trigger on the idea of a race-track, presenting a plan of what it would look like, and saying that the project will cost €20 million. Prime Minister Robert Abela said that no ODZ land will be taken up by the project.
Indeed a private firm had suggested Ħal Far a few years ago, and now the government seems to have taken on the idea, albeit while changing the design of the track itself.
Parliamentary Secretary Clifton Grima said that the circuit would be built close to already-existing facilities, which will be upgraded.
Maltese love their cars. Some Maltese, love racing their cars and speeding, and currently do so on the road which is dangerous for others. Perhaps the creation of such a track could help solve this problem, by allowing drivers to drive on said track.
Such a track could also see more Maltese motorsports teams be created, or could offer training for drivers interested in taking up such a sport.
Having such a track would also attract international competitions, which is undoubtedly one of the aims. The track should employ the very best safety measures, and fire teams, medical staff and ambulances must be on-site, and such things must always be taken into consideration whenever any events are held. The last thing anyone wants would be to see any tragedies that could have been avoided. In addition, the track would need to be well maintained.
One must also ensure, however, that all noise mitigation measures are taken, in order to ascertain that the residents of nearby localities are not disturbed by the noise emanating from the vehicles on the track. Indeed the Prime Minister had mentioned this.
The management of the track should also consider greening the area around the track itself, to make the area look as best as it possibly can. Keep in mind, the area is near an industrial estate, and so the greening of the area could give it more appeal for competitions.
The planning applications were submitted, and of course one must wait to hear from the experts as to what impact such a track could have. If negative impacts are minimal, such a project would be welcome.