AD ‘pleased’ to see its proposal for the roofing of Sta Venera ‘canyon’ moving ahead

● ‘Noise and air pollution have made people's lives a living hell’

Alternattiva Demokratika yesterday welcomed the fact that its proposal for the roofing of the Regional Road in Santa Venera is moving forward.

The party said it hopes that the roofing is carried out as soon as possible as “this is the least that the residents deserve, after waiting for almost 30 years”.

The party’s youth wing, Alternattiva Demokratika Żgħażagħ, has also worked to raise awareness on the need to cover the ‘canyon’ slicing through Santa Venera, having worked together with residents to raise the issues of the pollution, noise and inconvenience this ‘canyon’ is causing. The pledge to cover the ‘canyon’ had also featured in the Labour Party’s electoral manifesto

Alternattiva Demokratika said it also expects that once the roofing is complete, the newly reclaimed area will be turned into a green area and open space.

“Such a measure is essential for a town like Santa Venera where traffic and pollution are omnipresent every day,” AD said. “Moreover, Santa Venera has very few green spaces. It is crucial that such an opportunity for creating a green area is not missed.”

Alternattiva Demokratika said it additionally believes that such a development must not be looked at in isolation: “While this is a positive step for the residents in Regional Road, this episode should serve as a stark reminder of the negative impact that traffic has on residents in Santa Venera and all over Malta.”

AD spokesperson on transport and infrastructure Ralph Cassar said, “A holistic traffic strategy needs to be developed, one which aims to reduce the number of cars as opposed to increasing the number of roads taking traffic to already congested and polluted areas.

“The PN and the PL have only shown interest in the latter, and the results are clear, even in Santa Venera. The results are there for everyone to see: traffic has increased and noise and air pollution have made people’s lives a living hell. Just ask those residents directly above Regional Road.”