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The Mosta square started off by being closed off on Saturday evenings and Sundays earlier this year, with any traffic being diverted away from the area. However, the new Mayor of Mosta, Joseph Gatt stated that the partial pedestrianisation of the square was being reconsidered due to complaints received from residents and businesses close by. The complaints resulted from heavy traffic accumulating in the alternatives routes which was keeping customers at bay.
However, Jason Micallef, the Chairman of the Valletta Cultural Agency reacted to Gatt’s statement, claiming that the Mayor is lying by saying that the decision had not yet been made and that the decision would be finalised in October.
However, the resoltution of the Joe Gatt and the PN councillor Thomas DeMartino declares the decision of Gatt that the pedestrian zone in Mosta Square on weekends would cease immediately and permanently, effective from the 1st of September.
Chris Bonnett, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works, said in a Facebook post that although he too was “sceptical” about the pedestrianisation of the Square on weekends at first, he began to believe that it was a good decision. Amidst the current division within the Mosta community, he stated that this is a decision he is going to “defend”.
Antione Zammit, the architect involved in the redesigning of the square said that the only valid argument against the partial pedestrianisation was that of the residents living next to the square which had a longer journey home due to the alternative routes. He followed this by saying that the design would be beneficial as it reduced traffic in the centre as well as reduced emissions, making the square a space for families to meet without worrying about cars.
Omar Farrugia, the Parliamentary Secretary for Public Works shares a similar opinion to the Architect, saying that “if this decision is revised in favor of cars, we will be looking backward rather than forward in these matters”. Farrugia argues that the country needs more spaces open for socialisation and where children can play.
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