Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1502123
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 MARCH 2022 OPINION 3 LETTERS & EDITORIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 JUNE 2023 Letters & Clarifications Cost of living taking its toll MY daily trip to the nearby grocer is costing me almost double what it used to cost me just a year ago. I am a pen- sioner, living on my own and the daily groceries consist of fresh milk, some cheese and ham, a loaf of bread and the necessities to cook on the day. The cost of living is having its toll on my finances and from what I gather the story is the same for many people. I do realise that the war in Ukraine has had an impact on basic prices the world over and the situation could be much worse if fuel and electricity prices in Malta are not subsidised. But this is no consolation for people in my predic- ament who also have to contend with a hefty monthly bill on medicines that I have to take. I have cut down on 'luxuries' such as a monthly subscription fee with Netflix and my weekly purchase of meat from the butcher. But I cannot cut my ex- penditure on medicines. The situation does not seem to be getting better and it scares me to believe that it could get much worse. I don't know what can be done to alle- viate the problem but ordinary people cannot be left alone in these circum- stances. P. Bonello Msida Time for a metro TRAFFIC congestion is only getting worse. It is already bad enough with the number of private cars that keep joining the road network every year, let alone with the number of Y-plate vehicles that keep mushrooming. When is this country seriously going to consider building a metro? We need a mass transport system that is fast and timely. Unfortunately, buses are an inadequate solution because they use the same road space that is congested, making them inefficient. A metro that connects the key towns around the two harbours, including Valletta, should be the first step in a network that can then expand to con- nect to the airport and other outlying population centres such as St Paul's Bay and Marsaskala. Government had engaged foreign consultants to draw up an expensive dossier on possible routes and stations for a metro system. The documents and visuals from this presentation have long disappeared from the public domain – at least I could not find them despite multiple Google searches. It would be a waste of funds if the work done by these experts is simply shelved. Building a metro system is costly and will definitely spread over a number of years. This is why a cross-party effort to reach political consensus on its financ- ing, at least for the initial part of the network, is crucial. Martin Borg St Julian's Well done to our athletes ALLOW me to congratulate the team of Maltese athletes that competed in the Special Olympics in Berlin. The team showed grit and managed to win several medals. These athletes deserve to be recog- nised for what they have achieved and their resilience should serve as a beacon of hope to the rest of us. Well done and thank you for flying the Maltese flag with pride. Joyce Aquilina Ħaż-Żebbuġ