The lift, inaugurated in December 2012, offers a practical alternative for the thousands of tourists who disembark daily at the port of La Valletta and want to reach the shops, restaurants, churches and museums in the town centre.

The Municipality had been looking for ways to connect the upper part of La Valletta with the port below where the cruise liners dock, and to direct the flow of tourists from all over the world to the old town and the Barrakka Gardens.

The solution was a major construction project, coordinated by Mekanika, a Maltese systems-integrator. It entailed the installation of two enormous lifts connected to an access control system to manage the flow of tourists headed for the upper part of the town. Mekanika engaged CAME to develop the access control system and connect it to automatic ticket dispensers, which obviated the need for any staff. The city port and the Barrakka Gardens were linked by means of two Kone elevators, each capable of carrying up to 21 people in around 25 seconds up to the installation tower, 65 meters above.

CAME’s access control system comprises: 11 “Twister” turnstiles with barcode readers to scan the tickets; 2 “PS One” automatic ticket dispensers; 3 “Wing” turnstiles for disabled access. System manages over 2.000 people an hour during daily rush-hours.