Google and a calculator

A Chinese company has offered €4 million worth of feasibility studies (although I bet the real cost is nowhere near that figure), the Web and newspapers are awash with articles and comments regarding the pros and cons of bridges and tunnels, while environmentalists are greatly worried about any environmental effects. All this is a waste of time, energy and money. All the government needs to resolve this question in an authoritative manner is someone who knows how to use Google and a calculator.

In the general public interest and to kill some time, I decided to assess the feasibility for them free of charge, just like our Chinese friends.

The first step in my very expensive and time-consuming exercise was to Google the distance between Malta and Gozo: 4.9 km, which, despite my lack of bridge-building experience, sounds like a pretty serious span for a bridge!

Next I Googled the world's longest bridges and looked up information about some recently built bridges and their price tags. I found the 3 km long Russky Bridge in Vladivostok, Russia, which cost more than $1 billion. A 6.8 km bridge in Denmark cost around €2.5 billion. So on the basis of this and a quick session with my calculator, I suppose a €1 billion estimate for our Malta-Gozo fantasy bridge would be fairly conservative.

Google also told me that the Germans and Danes are budgeting €4 billion for an 18 km underwater tunnel between their two countries. Having dividing this by four on my calculator, it seems that we cannot get a tunnel for under €1 billion either.

Now we all know that Malta and Europe are anything but awash with money at the moment, but I'm sure anyone with a spare billion would spot a good investment if he sees it. For that amount of cash, I suppose they would expect a 5-10% yearly return on the investment. That would work out at €50-100 million a year.

With a population of around 30,000 persons, one would not expect more than 15,000 to cross between the two islands every day - and this would be an extremely generous estimate! Considering that many people would share a car or take a bus, 8,000 cars would make the crossing each day. If every vehicle was charged a hefty €10 for a return crossing, the bridge would make less than €30 million a year, from which one must deduct operational costs, maintenance and interest on loans. In simple terms, it would not turn a profit.

Despite my dream of flying in my own private jet to far-off tropical islands, I don't have the millions to buy one. So I don't waste any of my time assessing whether a Lear jet is better than a Gulfstream. Similarly, given that Malta does not seem to have been blessed with Qatar's reserves of oil and gas, I don't think we should waste any energy discussing and arguing about the effects of a bridge or tunnel on our two islands. We simply cannot afford it. End of story. Thank you, Google.

The pot and the kettle

A change in government, especially after so many years, brings about a comical tirade of the 'pot calling the kettle black' variety. Only a few months ago, the PL and One TV were busy pointing out every minister or parliamentary secretary who breached the code of ethics (for example, Tonio Fenech's jet trips and clocks). Every company the government dealt with was scrutinized by the Labour Party for any real or perceived conflict of interest with PN officials or any previous brushes with illegalities (for example, BWSC and Skanska). Nowadays we have a role-reversal, with Joseph Muscat excusing everyone and anything, while the PN is suddenly becoming a champion for political accountability!