Residents speak out against Balluta development for Fortina ferry

St Julian’s residents yesterday protested a proposed Balluta Bay development on Saturday, saying the already heavily congested area will be ruined forever if the project is approved.

The residents are opposing a project for a hop-on, hop-off ferry berth run by the owners of the Fortina hotel. The project coincides with temporary jetties proposed by the St Julian’s waterpolo club, in which Fortina co-owner Edward Zammit Tabone is a club official.

Flimkien ghall-Ambjent Ahjar spokesperon Astrid Vella said that the project will be the privatisation of yet another area in St Julian’s. “We will be seeing the same situation of the Sliema ferries happening here in Malta,” Vella said. “The developer has already admitted to ferrying 200-300 tourists; can you imagine the traffic and congestion this will create on a daily basis?”

Residents also criticised the developer’s statements on the jetty serving as alternative transport. “That is a ridiculous statement. Have you ever gone to work on the hop-on hop-off bus?” Vella insisted.

St Julian’s mayor Albert Butigieg said that the local council was opposing the development.

He said one of the issues residents were concerned about was the further commercialisation in the area.“The council has already started receiving applications for ticket booths,” he said.

Moviment Graffitti’s Andre Callus said that the permit for the Fortina project would effectively be allowing catamarans to berth in Balluta Bay. “The PA needs to send a clear message, that any ridiculous applications like these should not be filed, let alone approved,” he insisted.

St Julian’s Waterpolo club president Peter Bonavia defended the proposal, saying that having a “state-of-the-art” watercraft in the bay will improve the area’s situation. “During the summer a lot of boats enter the bay and leave behind them large amounts of sewage. This project will help in eliminating such illegalities,” he said.

He also insisted that the service will help in reducing traffic in the area, by providing residents and tourists with alternative modes of transport, despite residents’ claims.