In the busy streets of Valletta, it is common knowledge that a good night’s sleep is something reserved only for those who have soundproof walls in their house.
Many of Malta’s senior and younger residents have filed a large number of complaints to Maltese authorities about the loud noises and music from the streets since the authorities have issued a new legal notice that determines that establishments that operate in streets such as Merchant Street, Old Bakery Street, Old Theatre Street, Republic Street, South Street, St Lucia Street, and Strait Street in Valletta are allowed to play music until 1 am.
They have released this new notice by clarifying that business owners that operate in these streets are mandated to work under the very much “loosy goosy” condition that the music needs to be in a respectable, lower volume once It reaches the 11 pm mark.
Of course, because we all know the Maltese authority’s ability to enforce their own mandates, these rules haven’t taken effect yet regarding restricting the noise. Instead, the current state of the streets of Valletta tells us that there is only a worsening in the noise as hours go deep into the night.
Additionally, residents have also testified that the situation during the day hours doesn’t really provide them with the necessary rest and shuteye that they lung for after a bad night of no rest.
Since many boutique hotels are operating and built every day, the noise that is produced from the different hotel running operations could be very challenging for most senior citizens in the area.
Now, there are two perspectives in which this very disturbing and challenging problem could be looked at:
One, the citizens of Malta could look at the noise problem as a very isolated issue in a void, where there are a lot of people, businesses, or even industries that have made it their goal to bother the well-being of every citizen in Valletta, which frankly is not the case, nor has it ever been.
The other perspective, which provides a much broader and realistic point of view’ is the one that suggests that this “noise” is not only important but even essential for Malta’s economy.
If we look at the sources of the noise, we can see exactly what each one of them represents in the grand scheme of Malta’s economy.
After the hard blow that covid has caused for one of Malta’s most vital sources of foreign income: tourism, Malta has reached a place where its great nightlife establishments and services are receiving international attention from young people and families.
Malta has been at the forefront of the wrong side of the economic news In the EU in the last couple of years, where as a result of poor management and handling by the country’s financial authorities, some areas of Malta’s economic bread and butter have been neglected entirely.
We cannot afford to scare the tourists that are flooding the streets of our country simply because they are a large part of what is keeping Malta from falling back into a state of financial ruin and possible state-wide bankruptcy.
Therefore, the citizens of Malta need to comprehend that the noise coming from our streets keeps them from living on the streets. We need to ask ourselves if quiet streets are really what our country needs right now.
Obviously, the ideal situation would be one where Malta doesn’t need to rely on foreign money in order to build itself back up, where the country’s financial authorities will build a solid plan of action that will promote a home-grown economy. Still, right now, it most certainly does.
November 10, 2024
