Speed cameras' reliability questioned... again

The acquittal of a truck owner, whose heavy vehicle was booked speeding at 81 km an hour up Xemxija Hill, has rekindled the debate on the reliability of speed cameras.

The driver of a Leyland Constructor truck weighing close to 16 tons, laden with 13.5 tons of bricks was booked on August 13 for allegedly driving at 81 km per hour uphill in a 40 km zone.

The incredulous owner, contractor Emanuel Vella, decided to contest the charge rather than fork out Lm30 to pay the fine.

The hearing was held at the Mosta Tribunal on October 20 and Mr Vella turned up with documentation on the truck's weight and load. He insisted he was willing to pay for a foreign expert to be brought over to the island if that was what it took to prove that the truck could not be driven fully loaded at that speed uphill.

Guard and Warden House general Manager Kenneth Demartino and St Paul's Bay mayor Paul Bugeja told The Times the acquittal was based on a technical point related to a legal notice which was not immediately available at the tribunal.

The acquittal had nothing to do with the truck owner's arguments, they said.

Speed cameras, Mr Demartino argued, are calibrated and work properly and there is no room for errors.

But Mr Vella feels vindicated by the acquittal.

"For me, it would have been much cheaper to pay the fine and keep my mouth shut, as most people do when they get traffic tickets. I had to waste time to contest an offence that I should never have been booked for.

"I know what the truck can and cannot do. I am willing to let anyone see if it can go at 81 km an hour up that steep hill. Common sense tells you otherwise," he insisted.

Three mechanics contacted by The Times said today's trucks are equipped with powerful engines and can pick up a lot of speed but when bearing loads and going uphill their speed is simply killed.

The speed camera at Xemxija hill has long been a source of controversy with many motorists arguing that if the purpose is to save lives, rather than raise revenue, rumble strips across the road would be far more effective to force drivers to reduce speed. This suggestion has been made to the Malta Transport Authority (ADT) and the St Paul's Bay local council by Anthony Bilocca, one of the residents.

Mr Bilocca complained that crash barriers set up along part of the road where there is no pavement had made the situation worse for pedestrians who have to walk outside the barriers.

Mr Bilocca's said his letter to the ADT was acknowledged but the barriers were still in place.