Things are moving. We motorists are finally going to be told when tailbacks are occurring in an area and what alternative route we could take to get to our destination.
That would be a great improvement. I just hope that would not mean having a helicopter buzzing over our heads all day.
I also wonder whether the irritating driving problems we come across frequently will also be dealt with.
IT use in traffic management is fantastic, it will not only cut down on travelling time and stress, but also save on fuel, the new gold, and create less pollution.
However, it will not deal with human bad behaviour or educate the traffic wardens and construction and bus drivers.
Technology is great but it will not work in isolation, unless we deal with the human element it will only have limited success in avoiding traffic congestion and ensuing pollution.
How many times have you seen a traffic warden either chatting away, or leaning against a wall smoking ignoring the traffic when s/he is meant to be ensuring a crane is not causing congestion?
I suppose the new IT system would warn us to avoid the area altogether. How many times have you got to the end of a long, narrow street to find that access is blocked? It should not take much for the councils to ensure that construction workers put up signs at the beginning rather than at the end of a street they are working on.
As to the construction vehicles and bus drivers, they are a law to themselves. They constantly break the rules. In the last few days I have seen huge lorries driving up the wrong way on one-way, one-lane streets to avoid having to drive the long way round, and I don’t have to tell you who is expected to reverse back to get out of the way.
I understand that they may have problems manoeuvring in narrow streets with cars parked all along one side, but it all spells out lack of proper planning by local councils not to mention liaison between themselves and the police.
The Government is working fast when it comes to computerising systems but it has to do more in educating people.
The PM has spoken about training for councillors and that is commendable and should show positive results. However, we also need training courses for wardens before they are let loose on the streets. And although the police have an Academy, I believe that is only for recruits. Once the officers get their commission that is it, as far as training is concerned.
I know the police are hard pressed and under resourced but they do need the occasional refresher course. I am sure that some senior officers get the opportunity to meet overseas colleagues and share experiences, but how is the information passed down the line?
One does get complacent in any job and the Police is one institution where we cannot allow or afford this to happen.
Then of course we need to educate all drivers, especially the limp arm hanging out of the window brigade.
We really do need a wide reaching TV educational campaign on road rules, civility and safety to compliment a new IT traffic management system.

Does the MLP need it?
Using the word brigade has reminded me of something I wanted to comment on. Now we all know how difficult it is for a woman to make her way in politics. Even Hillary Clinton has had her fair share of media bias, so it is not surprising that our own women in politics do not get fair coverage in the media.
I think that Marie Louise Coleiro Preca is one of the best MLP politicians, and there is no doubt that she is not getting the attention she deserves in the media.
But unfortunately, just like George Abela shot himself in the foot by pandering to a certain element that tried to intimidate anyone with opposing opinions, Ms Coleiro Preca has too, by wanting to revive the Brigata.
Ms Coleiro Preca was reported as saying, “the brigade still had a role to play within the party and it was not really being promoted as it should be”, at a breakfast meeting with the Brigata Laburista delegates.
MLP veteran Joe Debono Grech, who is backing Ms Coleiro Preca, was quoted “the brigade was set up in 1959 because young people then were being indoctrinated in favour of the foreigner”.
So what is he implying? That the MLP needs to again indoctrinate its young to combat indoctrination? And by whom this time?
Things have moved on since 1959 and the MLP will not move forward by looking back. I think that our children have an excess of indoctrination in this country and that is what the psychotherapist present at the meeting should have pointed out. Even more indoctrination is only going to produce a confused and antagonistic generation.
The schools are there to educate our children and instil unbiased “social democratic values”. This country does not need to have its children in divisive groupings and no educational institution should support hostility towards differing opinions and beliefs.
That is why George Abela should have never apologised to people who perpetuate divisiveness and intolerance.
What we should be doing is encouraging our children to join extra curricular groups where tolerance and understanding of differing views are explored and debated, and not to form cliques of confrontational ideologies.