It is the latest fad, introduced apparently without much consideration, and now meeting the opposition of many.

They are drop kerbs, dips in the pavement, built in to accommodate house owning motorists who find them convenient... unlike elderly persons and the handicapped.

In fact, new trial ramps are being incorporated in the pavements in Psaila Street, Birkirkara, aimed to mitigate the problems faced by the elderly and the disabled, who are finding it difficult to walk on the dipping pavements.

The exercise is being carried out following liaison between the Roads Directorate and the Commission for Persons with Disability, Malta Transport Authority deputy chairman Victor Cristina said.

The Movement in Favour of Rights for Persons with Disability recently wrote to The Times to say it was concerned about the state of local roads and pavements. It said these were negatively affecting persons with a disability, senior citizens and the public.

It noted that pavements in front of garages were being constructed according to garage requirements. However, this meant that anyone walking along the pavement would find himself going up and dipping down ramps - much like a storm tossed vessel, you would think.

"Such pavements are a great inconvenience to persons with a disability, wheelchair-bound persons, old people and persons pushing push chairs.

"These pavements can easily be the cause of serious accidents to passers by...," the movement noted, pointing out that these obstacles along pavements forced persons onto the road.

"The truth is that a person, whether having a disability or not, has to decide which of the two dangers he is ready to face - the pavement or the road."

The movement urged those concerned to plan pavements and roads reasonably, respecting everyone's needs.

Floriana mayor Nigel Holland has spoken openly against drop kerbs in front of garages. Which would seem to be somewhat anomalous, seeing that such pavements with dips can also be found in his council's territory.

He explained when contacted that besides being an added handicap for the disabled and the elderly, such pavements were also an eyesore.

"They are also not at all practical and if a garage ceases to function as such, it would entail much more work and prove much more costly to redo a whole stretch of pavement to remove a cradle," he said, So why were dipped pavements also to be found in Floriana?

Mr Holland said this had been a decision taken by the majority of councillors in spite of his arguments against, in which he had also explained the stand of the National Commission Persons with Disability.

He said that the present council's decision to have such pavements had also overruled a decision by the previous council not to have them.

Mr Cristina said the roads directorate and the traffic management directorate of the Malta Transport Authority were aware of the problems and the resulting difficulties.

"To address this issue, the roads directorate is liaising with the commission and, as a trial, new ramps are being constructed in Psaila Street, Birkirkara.

"They are awaiting the outcome of these trials before using this method throughout the country and for future road planning," he said.

Fred Bezzina, from the Commission for Persons with Disability, said the problem was so complex that the commission had even issued a leaflet about it.

There were several possible solutions but for some to be adopted, the law would have to be changed.

One solution could be to have ramps alongside, instead of incorporated into, pavements. Such ramps could also be temporary although this would create problems for disabled or elderly car users.

Mr Bezzina pointed out that for certain disabled and elderly persons, it was the car which prevented them from being a prisoner in their home.

Another solution, Mr Bezzina said, was to have low pavements throughout, but this could cause other problems, such as for household water pipes feeding down from roofs.

Finding a solution, Mr Bezzina said, was not as easy as it seemed.

He said something had to be done before more money was spent on changing pavements, suggesting that guidelines should be drawn up and issued first and foremost.

The most important thing was to listen to all and find a compromise.

"There are disabled who walk and others who drive. Given the local public transport system one should be careful not to make their garages inaccessible," he argued.

"We have to avoid impractical solutions and we hope that the Malta Transport Authority deals with this issue seriously for it is a very serious problem and the solution is difficult to find," he said.