On the dot...

A kiosk has materialised near the derelict building on Saqqajja Hill, on the left-hand side, going upwards. This means that people who would like to stop for a bite have to veer out of the main road, or else, park elsewhere and brave the traffic in order to purchase food and drink. Either way, the whole exercise is an accident waiting to happen.

What Price?

Whatever happened to the law about displaying the price of items on sale? There was a time when shopkeepers were fined for not abiding by this law. It is annoying, to say the least, to have to ask the price of items on sale every time.

Runaway Zebra

Does the St Julians local council think it's done a better job removing the zebra crossing (opposite Peppino's restaurant) and placing it further up the road? As it stood, it was dangerous, now it's highly dangerous. One has to practically run for his life. Pelican lights or traffic lights would improve the situation by far.

Light Work

The Kappara roundabout Forever Amber traffic lights have outstayed their welcome. What's more, they are no doubt contributing obliquely to the Lm50 million Enemalta hole. It's about time, therefore, they be removed. Besides, streetlights are often left on in the morning and this constitutes even more wastage.

...Made Lighter

The other argument about forthcoming more expensive electricity bills almost begs itself. Why are there no subsidies on equipment that uses photovoltaic cells? Has there been an increase in the number of homes or establishments that produce electricity beyond their needs such that they are able to sell some of it?

In The Bag

The European Commission is currently proposing to replace parallel national approval procedures pertaining to pyrotechnics and airbags with a view to improving health and safety procedures involving these items, but not their use. This is the perfect opportunity for local legislation to be overhauled, making it a serious crime to manufacture fireworks without a licence and within a given distance of habitation.

Help Mates

Several high-profile NGOs, perhaps partly owing to the people at their helm, get support from establishments that can well-afford this. However, there are other, deserving endeavours that rely on home-spun fund raising such as coffee mornings, bring-and-buy sales and occasional paltry donations. One hopes that this is set to change.

Good Job

One enterprise that takes its customer care service seriously is Malta Dairy Products of Hamrun. A complaint about a cheeselet was followed through immediately and thoroughly by an officer in the section to the complete satisfaction of the customer involved.

Poster Haste

The poster advertising the xenophobic ANR demonstration held some time ago in Valletta is still to be seen on a gigantic billboard in Attard, just a boomerang's throw away from San Anton Gardens. Ironically, the area is also decorated by tiny banners welcoming foreigners to the CHOGM meeting which will happen soon.

Stop That Pigeon

This column has long been asking why those flying vermin, also known as pigeons, are not culled or at least provided with contraceptive feed, such that they gradually die out and stop polluting the island and damaging historic façades. These birds may also be instrumental in spreading zoonoses. How many people have to date been fined for feeding them and simultaneously dirtying the environment?

Big Screens

A couple of years ago there was talk of introducing Television without Frontiers as a tangible reflection of the digital era. However, one notes that in Malta one pays a licence to be able to watch local television stations; foreign ones are either accessed because of proximity with the continent or else through payment. Will all this change, then, once the system comes into operation?

Street Wiser

Of all the money spent on new roads, one wonders whether some could have been put apart for an old one. High Street, in Hamrun, is pitted with potholes and cracks in the surface tarmac layer. The former get filled with grubby rainwater; unwary - or mean - motorists continuously drive into them, showering pedestrians with grey gunge, every time it rains. The wheels of vehicles, unfortunately, throw water just high enough to get into the unprotected faces of babies in buggies.

Snow Use

Telephone booths were taken and turned into internet booths, for the use of the general public. Some of these have been out of order for a long time. If they cannot be repaired why are they not returned to their original status instead of remaining idle such that people may use them rather than having to walk a long distance to the next booth, if it exists? Maltacom p.l.c. would surely make a bit of profit from this.

Worst-Case Scenario

When the radio play War of the Worlds was broadcast, people assumed that aliens were invading earth and panicked. This happened despite constant reassurance from the media that it was all, literally, an act. The same thing, on a smaller scale, happened with the avian flu simulation here. Some forethought, such as the explanation running along television screens on a character generator whenever this footage was shown would have alleviated the hardship.

Budget Forecasts

Today is Budget Day; no big deal really but last week's power surcharge and petrol price hikes have led to cost-of-living increase expectations. A tricky situation for the government: life has become more costly but many enterprises are already facing an uphill battle. Let's wait and see.