The Provision Of An Efficient and Ecological Transport System in Gozo

What?
Can you say that again please?

To a non-green individual, such a statement may sound bizarre.

To a green person, the notion to improve the ecological efficiency of the land and marine public transport system is a must.

Much has been said about eco-Gozo especially before last general election.

Last week-end the Association of Local Councils, organised a seminar at Ta' Cenc Hotel. The Green Party Leader, Arnold Cassola, was invited as an observer. It was announced that preparations were under way for the joint signing, by all the 14 Gozitan Mayors, of the European Local Council Agreement.

By supporting such a holistic vision, the Gozitan Local Mayors have made a significant step forward towards the elimination of the petty divisions which characterize local politics in these islands, especially in Gozo. The European Local Council Agreement lays strong emphasis on the reconversion of the public transport system in European cities with a view to reduce pollution and energy waste while at the same time render it more sustainable and provide a better service to the citizens.

Now, Gozo has a golden opportunity to reduce pollution caused by present public transport system, both by sea and on land, whilst, at the same time, to provide an excellent service which make sense in today`s needs.

The reform in the public transport system in Gozo should ensure that all public transport vehicles, including buses and minibuses, should be powered by hydrogen, methane gas or electrical energy to reduce air pollution which is causing so much harm to people`s health. It is a pity that bio-diesel is still not available on the island of Gozo.

With regard to transport by sea, Alternattiva Demokratika would like to remind Government that this is the year when Gozo Channel`s monopoly in the provision of the public sea transport to and from Gozo has to come to an end. AD therefore strongly recommends to the Minister concerned that, apart from provisions safeguarding the employment of all the workers involved and all the social aspects, a clause should also be included, in the new tender, binding the winning tenderer to reduce to a minimum the pollution and energy consumption levels by the ships providing the service.

The Malta Government should not once again lose the opportunity, as happened in the past, to apply for funds from the European Union through the Marco Polo Program, whose call for applications opened again on the 10 February this year. Arnold Cassola added that these funds would help the Company, awarded the tender, to expand the transport of all merchandize from San Maison as well as from the Feeport, to Mgarr port and vice-versa, thereby reducing substantially the pollution, transport costs, road damage and traffic jams now resulting from the overland transport of goods by huge lorries.

Il-parking tal-ħaddiema Għawdxin fl-Imġarr

Fit-2, ta’ Dicembru 2008, laqqat ticket.

Dak inhar stess ktibt lil Board ta' l-Appell ghax hassejt li dan kien serq sfaccat.

U ktibtilhom hekk....

Lill-Board ta’ l-Appell

26, Triq l-Arcisqof

Il-Belt Valletta

Sinjuri,

Bir-rispett nitlobkom tilqghu l-oggezzjoni tieghi ghall-avviz hekk imsejjah ta’ kontravvenzjoni (197 -07422-2). Id-deskrizzjoni tal-kontravvenzjoni li jien sibt imwahhla tal-windskrin tal-karozza tieghi jindika li l-kontravvenzjoni kienet ghax min ta din il-kontravvinzjoni dehru jew dehrilha li jien kont ipparkjajt fuq double yellow line. (bghattilkom kopja tat-ticket/l-avviz ta’ Kontravvenzjoni).

Dan assulutament mhux minnu u ha nispjega:

Jien haddiem li ta’ kuljum immure ghax-Xoghol Malta. Ilni is-snin. Dan l-ahhar, biex nifranka l-flus, inhalli il-karozza ipparkjata l-Imgarr u nuza l-karozza tal-linja jew mezzi ohra ta’ transport ghal post tax-Xoghol tieghi. Minn mindu meta ix-xoghol tal-car park fl-Imgarr, saret kwazi impossibbli li ssib parking decenti sakemm ma tmurx lejn malta kmieni qabel il-vapur tas-7.30AM. Allura wiehed jispicca jew jipparkja taht Chambrej (hdejn l-ufficini tal-Gozo Channel (ara ritratt: parking tal-haddiema Ghawdxin taht Chambrej) jew inkella ‘l boghod hdejn il-Marina. Jien wiehed li ilni s-snin nipparkja taht Chambrej.

Meta tlesta il-carpark, ahna l-Ghawdxin ittamajna li issa jibda jkollna parking decenti. Pero gara li rari insib spazju f’dan il-carpark peress li operaturi li jikru l-karozzi juzawh bhala parking area lejl u nhar. (ara ritratt: il-carpark fejn huwa normalment okkupat mill-Jeeps u karozzi tal-kiri). Kull filghodu li nghaddi nfittex spazju hawnhekk QATT ma rajt Avvizi ta’ Kontravvenzjoni mwahhlin mall-windskrin tal-karozzi tal-kiri li okkupaw carpark shih.

Allura minkejja l-famuz inawgurazzjoni tal-faci

litajiet tal-port ta’ l-Imgarr, xorta wahda ahna l-haddiema li rridu naqsmu lejn Malta ghal hobza ta’ kuljum, spiccajna nipparkjaw that Chambrej xi drabi anke fit-tajn u trejqa bla asphalt (ara r-ritratt).

Nitloblok sinjuri tharsu lejn ritratt propju tal-Karozza tieghi Golf GAC-038 bit-ticket fuq il-windskin li tghid li qieghed ipparkjat fuq id-double yellow line. Nitloblok sinjuri tinnotaw li id-double yellow line huwa aktar minn 5 metri l-boghod mill-karozza tieghi. (ara: Double yellow line u l-karozza tieghi).

Ilni s-snin nipparkja f’dan il-post u ebda wordin qatt ma tfacca taht Chamnbrej biex jaghti t-tickets. Forsi dan jew din il-wordin haseb li kont ta’ kontravenzjoni ghax ma jkunux jistghu jghaddu korozzi ohrajn minn bejn id-double yellow lines u l-karozza tieghi? Ghal din ir-raguni hadt ritratt ukoll tan-naha l-ohra tal-karozza tieghi (ara ritratt: spazju bizzejjed biex jghaddu korozzi ohrajn).

Biex ikolli prova ta’ dan gbidt ritratti tal-karozzi ghaddejjin minn kull naha, kemm minn naha tal-lemin tal-kaorzza tieghi , cioe, fejn hemm id-double yellow line, u kemm minn naha l-ohra. Ir-rizutat hu li l-karozzi u vetturi ohra jghaddu komdi minn kull naha. (Ara ritratt: mhux ta’ kontravenzjoni ghall-vetturi lanqas minn naha tad-double yellow lines).

Ghalhekk inhoss li din il-kontravvenzjoni/ akkuza ta’ reat hija mill-aktar ingusta u nitlob li il-Bord ta’ l-Appell jilqa’ t-talba ta’ l-appell tieghi u dan ghaliex:

1) mhux veru li kont ipparkjat/wieqaf fuq double yellow line;

u

2) lanqas kont ta’ ebda xkien ghall-ebda vettura li setghet tghaddi mill-lemin jew mix-xellug ta’ fejn konna ipparkjati.

Barra milli ipprovdejt ir-ritratti bhala prova ta’ l-argumenti tieghi, ghandi numru ta’ persuni li offrew li jkunu xhieda jekk ikun hemm mil-htiega u dan peress li s-sens komun ma jenhtieg forza.

Victor Galea

Tel: 79017017

fl-4 ta' Frar, 2009

Ircevejt mill-Bord dwar il-Petizzjonijiet li:

"Il-Bord dwar il-Petizzjonijiet ACCETTA il-petizzjoni tieghek dwar il-kontravenzjoni bin-numru 197-07422-2"

Izda il-burokrazija ta' l-ufficini tal-gvern ziedet tghid: "IL-BORD IWISSIK BIEX MA TERGAX TIRREPETI L-OFFIZA".

X'offiza hi? Kieku aghmilt offiza zgur li ma kontx noqghod nappella!

Insomma, mieghi kien hemm 13-il karozza ohra li laqqtu ticket. Lkoll ktibtilhom li jekk iridu jappellaw, jien kont lest li nipprovdilhom ir-ritratti. Tnejn biss minnhom kellmuni.

Forsi kien hemm min mar jixtri xi flixkun Johnnie Walker ghal xi hadd?

Meta ser nitghallmu ahna l-Ghawdxin li hemm bzonn li ahna stess naqbzu ghad-drittijiet taghna, u mhux nixxenqu ghall-favuri u l-pjaciri?

Jien irnexxieli. Int ghandu jirnexxilek ukoll jekk thoss li qed issir ingustizzja mieghek. Toqghodx tibza mill-babaw!

Iċ-Ċensura mit-Torċa

Ircevejt kopja ta' 'Ittra lill-Editur' li ntbagħtet lil Gazzetti kollha bil-Malti, inlkuż lill-Mument, l-Orizzont, in-Nazzjon, it-Torċa u l-Illum. Naf biha ghax din l-ittra tas-sur Camilleri minn Nadur intbaghtet ukoll lin-newsletter elettronika ta' Alternattiva Demokratika.

L-ittra tirrgwardja il-kaz maħmuġ dwar kif il-Knisja, l-Gven u l-MEPA ħadmu qaqoċċa kontra l-bdiewa sabiex minkejja li l-istudju ambjentali wrew li bini ta' ċimiterju fuq xagħri fin-Nadur ser jagħmel ħsara diretta fuq l-ilma naturali, ix-xogħol baqa' għaddej xorta waħda.

Kif inhu mistenni l-istrateġisti nazzjonalisti ma ippubblikawx din l-ittra la fin-Nazzjon u lanqas fil-Mument.

Ta' l-Orizzjont ċempel lill-awtur u qallu li ser jippublikawha fit-Torċa iżda mhux fl-orizzont.

Interessanti li l-istrateġisti lejburisti iċċensuraw dan li ġej mit-Torċa:

"L-istess bħall-Isqof, hu sieket il-Prim Minsitru Lawrence Gonzi, li wara li kkopja l-proposta tal-Alternattiva Demokratika, kien wiegħed li Għawdex se jagħmlu gżira ekoloġika"

Kos hux, kemm joħorġu ċari l-hidden agendas tal-PNPL

www.it-torca.com

Il-Ħadd 15 ta' Frar 2009

Affarijet li jsiriw biss f'Għawdix

Wara li nkixif li r-Reġistriw Pubblikiw u r-Reġistriw ta' l-Artijet se jkuniw 'rilokati temporanjament ' fil-lukanda Downtown Ltd. il-Ministriw għall-Għawdix ħerġit stqarrije bex tiċċura xi affarijet. Araw ftejt:

"Dan ser isir wara li l-Ministeru għal Għawdex ħareġ sejħa għal turija ta’ interess fil-gazzetti lokali kollha. F’din is-sejħa tniżżlu l-ħtiġijiet bażiċi li kien hemm bżonn għal dan il-għan. Il-fatti huma illi li l-offerta ta’ Downtown Ltd kienet t-tieni l-orħos mill-offerti kollha li kienu sottomessi, u peress li min kien tefa’ l-orħos offerta reġa’ bdielu u sussegwentement irtira din l-offerta, l-għażla ovvjament waqgħet fuq it-tieni l-orħos offerta, jiġifieri dik ta’ Downtown Ltd. Wara li l-Ministeru għal Għawdex kiseb l-approvazzjoni meħtieġa mill-Ministeru tal-Finanzi, l-Ekonomija u Investiment, l-offerta ngħatat lil Downtown Ltd. Għalhekk ma huma bl-ebda mod korretti l-insinwazzjonijiet li saru, aktar u aktar meta intqal li wieħed mis-sidien tad-Downtown, Joseph Portelli “hu magħruf għal ħbiberija ma’ Giovanna Debono”.

Naħsib li għadim ma tgħallmiwx kejf juħurġow it-tendirs in-Nazzjunalistej wara tont zmen fil-gvern! U ħelline!

U kejf ussa ndunaw tal-Ministiriw li l-ispuzjow eżistentej hiw limitot? Bonġow Ministriw. Don partuj mill-eku ta' Ghawdix jew?

Viva l-ħbieb tal-ħbieb :)

The Ager Foundation Gozo

The Team Spirit of Gharb Rangers F.C.

I still cannot understand what is truly behind this story reported on the local media over this week-end.

It was reported that the Gharb F.C. committee was employing a non-Maltese person without the necessary for permits for him to work as a football plyer with the Club.

Although this player was paid by the Gharb F.C. (whose money are collected from door to door - including mine), the necessary licences were not in line with the law.

However, the Nigerian player was arrested during half time of a football game at the Gozo stadium on Thursday 5th February, when it was discovered his permit had expired.

Three Gharb football club officials, Joseph Cauchi, 38, Louis Apap, 56 and Mario Saliba, 40, appeared before Magistrate Dr Paul Coppini accused of employing a non-Maltese person without a permit and the necessary licences.

The three officials were also accused of not notifying the Employment and Training Corporation of the employment.

Police Inspector Josric Mifsud was the prosecuting officer.

I was never involved directly in any Football Club, but I heard of the term "Team Spirit".

Are you 'Joe Citizen'?

I am sure that unless you are not 'Joe citizen' and you read this news, you might feel quite angry and upset. I assume that the reason being is that if you are a common citizen and filled-in an appeal to the MEPA Appeals Board without paying all the necessary fees up to the last Euro cent, the Appeals Board would have rejected your application there and then.

But not in the case of the developers behind the proposed villas and swimming pools at Ramla l-Hamra Bay in Gozo!

Read the report on the Ramla appeal given the go ahead….yet again by clicking HERE.

In this Republic of ours, some people are more lucky than others. But I don't mind being with the unlucky ones unless I stick to my 'green' principles of justice and fairness.

Active Citizens

This week I felt happy that a number of Gozitans felt at ease to express their opinions on the Pjazza l-Assedju proposed buildings in Victoria. Yes, this is a breakthrough since as one of the
writers (Francies Spiteri) said:

"All the neighbours that we have spoken to seem to share the same opinion but a lot of them don't want to write their names in the newspaper etc, because they are afraid of being blacklisted. Are we back to the early 80's? After all, as European citizens we have to learn that expressing a concern or opinion is a fundamental human right."

Read Spiteri's contribution by clicking HERE.


Mr. Carmel Scicluna, another Gozitan, also freely expressed himself on this issue. Like many locals and ex-pat residents in Gozo he puts doubts on MEPA and said:

"I have my doubts about MEPA, but I wonder if MEPA will accept such proposals without the necessary studies concerning the impact of this development on this residential area. Can we residents have access to any studies that have been done or is everything going to be kept secret?"

Read Scicluna's contribution by clicking HERE.


Another contributor, Joe Borg, also from Victoria had the courage to challenge not only the Gozo minister but also the Gozo Curia! He said:

"We invested in our property since the land has been passed from the church to the joint office with the aim of remaining an open space. No wonder the Church also remains silent on such issues. Is the Gozo Curia also going to benefit financially if this open space is turned into a building site?"

Read Borg's contribution by clicking HERE.

I would like to give a big congratulations to these active citizens and others who are woirking to safeguard Gozo and its characteristics from greed and speculation.