Maltese environmental NGO Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar has slammed a proposal to remove 200 mature trees in the Rabat road leading to Saqqajja Hill amid a public outcry over the loss of such a large amount of trees in one fell swoop.

“Systematically ridding these roads of mature trees is a short-sighted costly decision that will elevate the traffic problem temporarily until we find ourselves in the same situation a few years down the line. We know that the traffic problem we are experiencing today is the result of similar decisions taken twenty to thirty years ago by previous administrations,” they told Lovin Malta.

“Authorities then did not want to address the traffic problem comprehensively with a long term plan, so they built wider roads, new bypasses and kept encouraging private car-use. That decision didn’t work then and won’t work today. Sadly though, Transport Malta seems to have learnt nothing,” they said.

The popular picturesque Telgħa tas-Saqqajja leading to Rabat could be upgraded as part of the Central Link Project that aims to reduce traffic congestions in Attard. Transport Minister Ian Borg had acknowledged that some agricultural land would need to be sacrificed for the project, but the trees on this Rabat road had not been mentioned.

The Transport Ministry said the majority of trees won’t be removed

“Apart from the fact that the majority of indicated trees are to remain in place in a specially designed central strip, 212 additional trees will be planted in places where there currently aren’t any,” the ministry said in a statement. “The new trees to be planted in such situations will not be small trees, but rather mature ones.”

Yet, the project’s plans indicate nearly 200 mature trees would need to be uprooted, particularly in the area between Mount Carmel Hospital and the foot of Saqqajja Hill.

Trees have come under attack all over the island recently, for everything from regeneration projects to health and safety reasons. FAA recently launched a petition protesting the removal of hundreds of trees near the Santa Lucija junction and the Triq Marija Addolorata. The petition has received 1,000 signatures in less than 24 hours.

And just this week it was announced that two landmark trees in Balzan could face the ax as part of a redoing of the road.

How do you feel about this latest project?

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Johnathan Cilia

Johnathan is an award-winning Maltese journalist interested in social justice, politics, minority issues, music and food. Follow him at @supreofficialmt on Instagram, and send him news, food and music stories at [email protected]