Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/929711
maltatoday SUNDAY 21 JANUARY 2018 6 News YANNICK PACE SINCE the beginning of 2013, the Planning Authority (PA) has re- ceived 67 applications related to work on, or the construction of, fuel stations around Malta and Gozo. 47 of these applications have been accepted since the start of 2015 – three of which are for the construction of new sta- tions, and eleven of which relate to properties in Outside Develop- ment Zones (ODZ). Thirteen of the 67 applications are still pending, and could po- tentially increase the number of new, or relocated stations since 2015 up to five. The informa- tion was obtained from Trans- port and Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg's reply to a parliamen- tary question (PQ) put to him by Nationalist Party environment spokesperson Karol Aquilina. Speaking in parliament, in a supplementary question to the original PQ, Aquilina asked Borg whether he was concerned by the fact that applications for fuel stations keep increasing, despite government policy seemingly aimed at encouraging the use of public transport over personal cars. Borg pointed out that, irrespec- tive of government policy, the number of cars on the road was still increasing, and it was there- fore understandable for the pub- lic sector to continue catering for the public's needs. In fact, the vast majority of the accepted applications – 43 – mainly involve the upgrad- ing of station equipment and infrastructure, or the extension of existing facilities, most often through the addition of ancillary services such as car washes, in order for operators' to be bet- ter positioned to compete in an environment where the next sta- tion could literally be just a few metres away. The authority's Fuel Service Station Policy of 2015 has also been a contributing factor, with two of the three new stations ap- proved since then involving the relocation of a previously existing facility. There are currently 77 fuel sta- tions across Malta and Gozo, ac- cording to another reply to a PQ back in October. That's one station in every 4 Km2, and, according to the latest car registration figures published by the NSO, roughly 4,700 cars for every station on the island. ypace@mediatoday.com.mt Expression of Interest for Office Space (Ref. MJCL/MPU/2/2018) The Ministry for Justice, Culture and Local Government would like to receive offers for the leasing of office space located in Valletta or Floriana. Additional information about this Expression of Interest is available from https://justice.gov.mt/en/ministry/tenders/Pages/tenders.aspx. Deadline for the submission of offers is Wednesday, 31 st January 2018 at noon. To apply for any of these roles, please e-mail your CV to grow@carobtree.com.mt Server Assistants/Bussers Dishwashers and Cleaners Food Court Supervisor WE'RE RECRUITING PUMPING MAD Petrol stations pushed into Malta's countryside PA green-lights 47 fuel station permits since 2015 LEGEND COLOUR YEAR GREEN 2015 RED 2016 BLUE 2017 ORANGE 2018