This morning I left Court in a sad mood after attending the collisions’ sitting on behalf of a client. I was appalled by the sight of a number of youngsters all resting on crutches entering the court hall. Many of them seem to have serious injuries and others that could not make it up to the court because of their permanent disability, cannot lead a normal life. Some of the victims of traffic accidents contribute to their new unfortunate plight due to excessive driving, careless driving and lack of knowledge of basic traffic rules. Some accidents happen because the driver tries to escape some of the many pot holes that our streets and roads are adorned with.
Another hindrance to proper driving and a new cause for accidents are the tall bushes and hedges that are meant to embellish roundabouts. I do not want to sound negative. I am all out in favour of embellishing roundabouts with as many varied flowers as possible. However, tall hedges and bushes should be avoided, and instead plant small flowers that do not hinder the vision and cause traffic accidents.
A case in point is the Birkirkara roundabout near Studio Seven. In this area, every day one can witness a couple of traffic accidents, some of them very serious. First of all there are missing traffic lines and others that have faded away. One has also to consider installing traffic lights. Traffic coming from Tumas Fenech Street to enter the Birkirkara bypass causes problems; a ‘stop’ sign needs to be put in place and proper traffic lights set up. Bushes hinder vision both to drivers coming from the direction of the University towards Lija and also to drivers coming from Tumas Fenech Street turning the roundabout. ADT please take note. It is also the responsibility of Local Councils to make traffic safety their priority in their embellishments projects.
It has been reported that the owners of busses wanted to stage a protest and also threatened industrial action because ADT showed some courage and insisted that buses should not remain the massive polluters they are today.
Whenever you end up behind a bus you have to swallow the heavy emissions that bus drivers regale you with. So on this occasion, thumbs up to the ADT who should continue to persist in their stand against these polluters that are the cause of many lung cancers that Maltese citizens have to suffer, endure and die with. Recently someone told me that owners of heavy plant machinery are using the so-called light heating oil which is a cheaper product than diesel but which is a heavier polluter. The authorities concerned should make it a point to check this abuse.
A few years ago we were told that the bus fare was raised so that bus owners would improve the quality of the vehicles and the service. We saw a few new buses, but no more. Bus routes are in the majority serviced by fifty-year-old busses which should have been put off our roads years and years ago. Bus owners can have a grievance in raising their fares because of the increased cost of fuel, and some form of administrative machinery has to be found to address their complaints when their costs soar. No one is expected to operate a business at a loss.
However, bus owners have no case in declaring that they are not going to bring their vehicles in order to stop the disgraceful emissions that we all have to suffer. It is the general public that has a case to protest about, and not those who through their egoistic pretensions are causing such harm to citizens’ health.
Once again I urge ADT not to back down on its insistence to have a bus service that does not cause unnecessary harm to the environment. On this issue, ADT has the support of everyone.
Summer is once again dawning. During the summer months we expect to attract thousands of tourists to visit us and spend their hard-earned money on a holiday which satisfies their expectations and which is good value for money.
The most obnoxious thing that tourists speak about is the dirty environment we live in. In summer not only tourists but the majority of Maltese spend much of their time outdoors thanks to our Mediterranean climate. So it is in everybody’s interest to refrain from dirtying the place we live in. Public opinion should be geared up to urge the authorities to speed up and beef their efforts to secure a clean habitat. For a number of years the government employed beach cleaners to keep our beaches clean and in good order. Our beaches are far from clean and lack the amenities that are found elsewhere. They have become the sacred ground of a few persons who want to make money out of public land with as few obligations as possible. Beach concessions should be revised and those who use beaches for business purposes, should have the duty to clean the area of the beach rented to them and see that the area has the facilities of showers and toilets that are normally found abroad.
Recently I was invited and attended the annual concert organised by St Helen’s Band Club at the University of Malta. A group of volunteers spearheaded by the energetic Tony Carbonaro year after year manage to give a treat to the club’s members and the general public through a three-hour mixture of music ably executed by the band. This year’s concert was no exception and all those who attended were satisfied with the selection of music and the light and way the programme progressed from one piece to another.
The few words delivered by the Club’s president made a lot of sense. He encouraged all those responsible for the feast’s fireworks to respect the law and above all take all the necessary steps to safeguard their health and make sure that they do not risk their lives. Last year was disastrous and the authorities concerned should start inspecting fireworks factories to guarantee a safe environment for all those involved. No feast is more sacred than people’s lives.
