James Debono
The small Gozitan hamlet of Fontana emerges as the best-kept locality in Malta and Gozo, while Mtarfa is the worst off.
This emerges from efficiency reports carried out by the Department for Local Government in all Maltese local councils between April 2007 and March 2008.
The reports give only a partial picture of the work carried out by local councils because the assessment is restricted to the upkeep of roads, pavements, gardens, lavatories, foreshore and the state of traffic signs.
The reports do not measure important aspects like environmental sustainability, waste management and social initiatives undertaken by councils.
Overall, 41 councils out of 68 have failed to surpass a sufficiency mark of 7.
Not surprisingly, the smallest localities – which are easier to manage – fare better than the larger localities.
With a population of just 846, Fontana gets the best mark of 9.1. Yet it is another tiny locality, Mtarfa, which gets the lowest score.
Fontana even managed to score full marks for its traffic signs and public toilets.
On the other hand Mtarfa got the lowest score for its public toilets and the state of its rural roads.
The second worse off locality, according to the reports, was Hamrun which is reprimanded by the department for the low level of services offered to its residents.
Malta’s capital city only manages a score of 6.9 even if it saw an improvement from since 2006 when it was given a low 5.7.
Valletta gets its worst scores for the condition and upkeep of its pavements and for the state of its public toilets.
Malta’s most populous locality, Birkirkara, also gets a relatively low mark of 6.9. B’Kara gets its lowest marks for road-sweeping and the state of rural roads
South-eastern localities like Birzebbuga, Marsaxlokk, Marsascala and Zejtun are among the best governed in the island, scoring more than 7 points.
Vittoriosa, which scores 7.1, emerges as the best-kept locality in Cottonera.
Sliema which gets its lowest rating for its traffic signs because its road markings are in a bad conditions “to the detriment of drivers and pedestrians alike.”
It also gets a bad mark for the sweeping of public roads.
Sliema gets an overall mark of 6.8.