Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1212321
20.02.2020 9 EDITORIAL BusinessToday is published every Thursday. The newspaper is a MediaToday publication and is distributed to all leading stationers, business and financial institutions and banks. MANAGING EDITOR: SAVIOUR BALZAN EDITOR: PAUL COCKS CONTRIBUTING JOURNALIST: MASSIMO COSTA BusinessToday, MediaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN9016, Malta Newsroom email: bt@mediatoday.com.mt Advertising: afarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt Telephone: 00356 21 382741 G ozitans have a right to the relia- ble travel infrastructure that their Maltese brethren enjoy. For too long Gozitans have had to con- tend with insularity that makes their life somewhat more complicated. Sea travel means waking up early to make the first ferry trip to Malta; and trying to wrap up meetings early, to get back to Gozo at a decent time. It is a fickle inconvenience for many Maltese but it is an economic and social disruptor for Gozitans and cannot be disregarded at the bat of an eyelid. is is why this leader believes that the construction of a permanent link be- tween both islands is important. A road tunnel will help remove the uncertainty for Gozitans, giving them a reliable travel option that does not de- pend on time schedules, weather and ship outages. is is why we believe that the propos- al by the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry to replace plans for a road tunnel with a metro link be- tween both islands falls short of ad- dressing today's needs. ere is no realistic timeframe yet for a metro system in Malta. Any investment in this regard, which should be priori- tised in the coming years, will undoubt- edly concentrate in its initial stages on having an underground service around the Valletta harbours. Built in phases, a metro system will only be extended further north and on- ward to Gozo in its latter stages, and only if the route is viable. is means that a metro-only tunnel link between Malta and Gozo is some- thing that can realistically be consid- ered in 15 to 20 years' time, if at all. Proposing this as a solution for today's problems is a non-starter. It is akin to postponing a permanent connection indefinitely and that is a prospect, which does not bode well for Gozitans. e Chamber's policy document does make a strong argument for a perma- nent fourth ferry ship and possibly a fifth that links Mġarr with Valletta. ese options must not be discarded. But for the long term, this leader be- lieves that a road tunnel link will give Gozitans the peace of mind they have always sought. A road tunnel will also enable the local economy to diversify because uncer- tainty will be removed from the equa- tion. Apart from this, the road tunnel could provide a safer infrastructure to have electricity and fibre optic cables linking both islands. Government must continue with its plans to develop a road tunnel but in doing so it has to also ensure that all necessary studies are conducted. e proposed tunnel link will not come cheap – a price tag ranging be- tween €300 million and €500 million has been floated. It is not a cost that can be easily dis- missed but there is an economic spin- off that will be derived from this big project, which can bolster Gozo's con- tribution to the national GDP. Part of the cost can be recouped through increased economic activity in Gozo and the northern part of Malta, and a toll on non-Gozitan cars using the tunnel. But we reiterate that the tunnel link is not the be all and end all for Gozo. More investment has to pour into pub- lic infrastructure such as the harbour in Mġarr, which can be expanded to enable cruise liners and more yachts to berth. e island also needs a fully functional general hospital, something which has so far failed to materialise under the hospitals privatisation deal. It also needs investment in schools, embellishment of village cores and in- centives for businesses to relocate to Gozo. A road tunnel will provide a perma- nent link that will help cut down on the disparity between Malta and Gozo. Postponing a permanent link to an un- known future and linking it to a metro, which for all intents and purposes is still pie in the sky, does not do justice to Gozitans. Why a metro tunnel link to Gozo is a non-starter