Bird Park 'forced to shed jobs' due to ongoing road works

A representative of the Salini Bird Park has filed a judicial protest, claiming that road works on the Coast Road have caused such a loss of income to the park, that it had to make a number of employees redundant.

The protest against Transport Malta, the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure and the Commissioner of Police claims that closures of the road and concrete blocks preventing access by pedestrians had resulted in a preventable negative impact on the business, in particular because it prevented tourists from Bugibba and Qawra from visiting the establishment.

The situation was foreseeable by the defendants, claim the plaintiffs.

Bird Park Director Kevin Mallia claims that correspondence between the plaintiff and the contractors, Kosta Joint Venture show that the agreed arrangement was to always have at least one entrance to the park accessible to the public, however the defendant is alleged to not only have closed off all vehicular access to his establishment but also prevented pedestrians from entering.

Kosta Joint Venture is made up of Polidano Brothers Ltd, Philip Agius and Sons and Central Asphalt Ltd and their sub-contractors; and RM Construction Ltd, itself a group made up  of Bonnici Bros.Ltd,  Asfaltar Ltd and Schembri Infrastructures Ltd and their sub-contractors.

The protest states that persons attempting to access the park on foot were directed to take a 5.6km detour by Transport Malta employees and that the nearby bus stop had been demolished.

In spite of several communications between the plaintiff and the contractors the access to the park via the Coast Road was only opened on the 21st of October this year.


Lawyer Robert Piscopo signed the protest.