The advertising would be billed to MediaToday, the company that publishes the bi-weekly newspaper MaltaToday.

The video that MediaToday wanted to run as video banners on lovinmalta.com details the “facts” behind the controversial project which sparked a protest yesterday.

Among other things the video says that from the Our Lady of Victories chapel to the Mriehel bypass, 436 trees will be removed but argues 372 are not protected species and half of them will be replanted on the same route.

Lovin Malta has sent questions to MediaToday owner Saviour Balzan and will update this story with his response.

Xtra Sajf, Saviour Balzan’s summer TV programme on the national broadcaster, last week interviewed Infrastructure Malta CEO Frederick Azzopardi about the Central Link Project.

In it, Azzopardi said the project was the most feasible way to tackle the traffic problem in Attard and claimed the absolute majority of the public backs the project, citing a social impact assessment carried out as part of the planning process.

He also dismissed claims that road widening would lead to an increase in cars, arguing that the number of cars in Malta has continued to increase year by year even though roads weren’t widened.

The programme also carried brief comments from Transport Minister Ian Borg, who said the project will lead to less air pollution, as well as from Ryan Vella from Għaqda Siġar Maltin and Rachelle Deguara from Alternattiva Demokratika, both of whom were critical of the project.

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