Street shabbiness

This photograph, taken recently, says it all. This is the shabbiness and lack of cleanliness which the Balzan end of Naxxar Road, Birkirkara, has to face daily.

As already pointed out in an earlier contribution (The Sunday Times, May 11, 2003) this is not my first attempt to bring this matter to the authorities' attention.

Contacted by e-mail on April 15, 2003, Birkirkara council replied that this particular main road falls under the responsibility of the central government but that, even so, it still employs a sweeper at least once a week.

The council might want to investigate the service being rendered since the photo proves otherwise. So, here comes my plea once more. Can somebody please arrange for regular and effective street cleaning?

May I also recommend that this particular bus stop shown in the photo be given a facelift?

Removing the graffiti from the façade and installing a rubbish bin is the very least that can be done to prevent further vandalism.

I think it would be a very good idea to have rubbish bins installed at every bus stop in Malta since many people find a need to dispose of unwanted stuff when waiting for a bus, especially when they have just finished a snack or a drink.

I am offering no expert advice when pointing out that we need to eradicate shabbiness and rubbish if we want our tourist industry to flourish. A beautiful vase of flowers in a filthy hotel lobby would be considered by many to be a contradiction or a farce.

Similarly contradictory is our spending money on planting flowers in our roundabouts when we should first spend it on removing and preventing shabbiness and rubbish in our towns and connecting roads.