On the dot...

A bronze Fiat 127, with all its tyres flat, no petrol cap, open windows, torn upholstery and expired licence has been dumped in Holy Cross Road, corner with Bwieraq Street, in Birkirkara. Some time ago residents noticed a policeman taking down details but the car has not been removed yet.

Dark Site

Slowly, at a snail's pace, some work is being done on the Mtarfa by-pass, whose Rabat-bound lane has been in the making since long before the government was re-elected. Perhaps while they are at it someone will see to it to provide some lighting, to relieve the pitch darkness.

Lights Out

No fewer than Lm24 million is owed to the government in arrears for water and electricity tariffs. Steps are being taken to ensure that anyone with an outstanding bill of more than Lm100, who does not pay up, will incur a nine per cent surcharge for electricity and eight per cent for water. One wonders what steps are being taken to ensure that anyone owed over Lm100 by the Inland Revenue Department is paid back within the same time limit, failing which their refund will be augmented by at least eight per cent up to date of repayment.

Brown Papers

Some time ago there was a great ado when it was rumoured that garbage collectors were simply dumping separated rubbish into one common scammel truck and negations flew thick and fast. In the dumping site near St Paul's Bay school, people meticulously place their rubbish into the appropriate bring-in site containers, only to see the contents of all four containers dumped simultaneously into a refuse truck, as happened on November 5, at 9 a.m.

Learner Plates

The Labour-led Pembroke local council has been quite negligent where most essential services, i.e. street sweeping and grass cutting/trimming, have not been provided for over three months. This is especially evident in the one-kilometre stretch of Triq il-Mediterran where the hedge has not been trimmed and thus overgrew onto the pavement and road, posing real danger to pedestrians who have to step down onto the road since the pavement is blocked.

Present Perfect

Sometimes it is the little things in life, not the expensive gifts, that make life worthwhile. Last week, for instance, a woman suddenly remembered that she had not posted an important letter entrusted to her some days before. All the stationers in the area were closed and she asked the staff at Sant Travel, in Hamrun, whether they could spare a stamp. Not only did they do so but they refused payment.

Sweet Reason

How long does it take to replace a blood glucose monitor at a health centre, if it is lost, stolen, or for whatever other reason? With at least one in 10 of the population having diabetes, the provision and upkeep of this equipment is a necessity, rather than a luxury, at every health centre and clinic in the country.

Hot Air

Negotiations between Enemalta and gas cylinder distributors will be hampered before they even commence because of the rise in costs, namely fuel expenditure. The fact that clients may pick up cylinders at designated depots, no doubt, also means that these distributors lose the deliveries they would have made to people who avail themselves of this service. One hopes that all these points are kept in mind, without the increases, if any, being passed on as usual to the consumer.

Branching Out

The drivers of the mini buses serving students at St Michael School, Qormi, have the endearing habit of lopping off branches of trees that overhang the pavement in Triq il-Palazz l-Ahmar, lest they scratch the paint of their vehicles. A report at the Sta Venera local council elicited the reply that the dead plant matter would be collected "when the trees are pruned", which may be any time in the near future. Meanwhile, the branches are collecting even more debris and becoming offensive eyesores.

Merry Go Round

The idea behind the stop-start routine with regard to the Kappara roundabout traffic lights is easy to understand. When they are on, the traffic crawls along, with motorists rarely taking chances. When they are off, traffic oozes along, creating bottlenecks when people selfishly try to ignore the Highway Code and the drivers in front of them are doing the same thing, while going towards a different direction.

Star Treks

A building in Elia Zammit Street, St Julians, which is used as an English Language School, lacked accessibility for users of wheelchairs. So, a ramp was created, leaving pedestrians with no other option but to take to the very busy road, seeing that cars are usually parked against that particular stretch of pavement. Did the Malta Environment and Planning Authority actually give permission for this makeshift arrangement?

No Way

Why is it that ELC, Agriculture Department and Road Signage vehicles continue to be allowed to clog arterial roads and causing long traffic tailbacks during busy hours? Has the Malta Transport Authority no authority over them?