Priorities

I refer to the letter "Traffic contraventions" (July 29) by Mario Mallia, Birkirkara local councillor, in reply to my letter of July 12. Since I happen to bear the same name as the gentleman, I am now using my middle initial in order to avoid any confusion.

I agree with most of what Mr Mallia said and especially that two wrongs never make a right. My intention was to draw the attention of all concerned that wardens must learn to prioritise. There are minor contraventions, which pose no danger or inconvenience, and there are more serious ones. My perception is that, unfortunately, wardens tend to be quick to crack down on minor offences and show rather less enthusiasm to act in other cases.

A couple of examples may illustrate my point.

There is a pastizzerija in Fleur-de-Lys Road where customers frequently stop their cars and alight to make their purchases. The road here is at its narrowest and drivers have to swerve into the opposite lane, risking a head-on collision, to bypass the stationary cars. The mere presence of a local warden at peak traffic times would be enough to solve this problem once and for all but I have yet to see one such official in the area.

Another black spot is the junction between Fleur-de-Lys Road and Qormi Road, where drivers continuously defy the "no waiting" signs and park their vehicles along the pavement, effectively turning the beginning of Qormi Road into a one-lane passageway.

There are contraventions and contraventions. Limited resources mean that not all problems can be handled simultaneously. My wish is that wardens get their priorities right and treat the more urgent issues. Only when our streets are safer should they turn their attention to those offences which are so minor that one is hardly aware that one is breaking the law in committing them.