Pembroke Park And Ride To Be Replaced By Tower And Other Buildings In Malta Metro Plan
A high-rise tower will be built in Pembroke’s park and ride area if the new metro plans proposed by the government come to fruition.
Renders of the proposed station for Pembroke place it in the midst of a completely revamped park and ride area, complete with several modern looking buildings, a cafeteria and a high-rise tower in the centre.
“The site is characterised by the presence of the park and ride,” the proposal states. “It is noted that the service is used very little and in fact the parking area is empty for most of the time.”
“The site, other than the presence of some university buildings and sports facilities, is distinguished by the presence of a park that defines the southern side.”
“The new station and the new uses will provide an increased vitality to this area, where all the new spaces between buildings will be planned with a strong sense of urbanity.”
Opposition MP Toni Bezzina recently flagged this proposed tower, as well as other large new buildings proposed in the Buġibba and Marsa Park And Ride station renders.
“It’s a metro concept but we somehow ended up with towers too,” he pointed out during a debate on ONE TV. “Isn’t it our obligation to ask questions about it? Should I close an eye and let a foreign expert tell me if I should build a block of 22 storeys for a metro station or not.”
Transport Minister Ian Borg insisted that the government has yet to take a decision on the metro plans, which were drafted by London-based engineering firm Arup with no interference from the government.
“If you want, you can search for A-R-U-P on the internet, write to them and ask for their reasoning behind the Pembroke station and they’ll probably answer you,” he said.
Borg repeatedly insisted that the government has yet to take a decision in favour or against the proposed metro.
“The plans were welcomed by the public but they obviously raised a lot of questions too,” he said. “It’s going to be a national discussion. They aren’t my plans or the Labour Party’s plans, they are plans that the government commissioned for the people and we want a strong debate about it.”
“We want to allow people, political parties and stakeholders to speak out and eventually we will make a decision – we won’t rush into it but neither will we keep discussing forever.”
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