Fuming in Victoria

As a frequent visitor to our mainland sister island Malta, I came to know, only the other Sunday while on a visit to Zebbug (Malta) for the feast of St Philip, that wonder of wonders, in such a big town (almost as big as Gozo in population) there exist no wardens and there have never been any!

Already knowing that another big locality, Birzebbuga, does not feel the need of this service, my mind boggled and wondered... so why are they needed and deployed in our town, Victoria, and not in Birzebbuga and Zebbug?

Certainly since it is the same "service", either in one case John and Tom citizen is being deprived of it or rather it is simply unnecessary.

I would like to put a direct question to our mayor, Robert Tabone, and I await the answer. Could he please get rid of these officials? Their so-called service is restricted to the issuing of parking tickets. They do nothing else. Why do they never issue a ticket to the trucks carrying debris from early sunrise till late in the day, bulging and belching clouds of dark fumes to the detriment of us poor citizens and dwellers in Republic Street? How about the noise pollution?

Another direct question to the mayor: In the absence of a ring road, are we doomed to have these monsters endangering our health till death us do part?

Do we have to watch and smell, day in day out, the fumes from these decrepit trucks coming from Nadur or Xaghra and passing right through the centre of Victoria to deposit their debris in some unused quarry in the west of the island? Does Mr Tabone think it is fair for us citizens? We know how it is in Gozo - everyone grumbles and grumbles but all are sitting ducks (as in the case of the destruction of Ramla Bay).

It is not enough to tell us what you can do, Mr Tabone, but do what you can. And as one ad says: "Do it now!"