Poles that held up a project

For over 12 years the residents of Triq Qalet Marku, Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq have been without a surfaced road. In November works started in earnest and are continuing to this day. It is taking so long because a number of associated works have to be carried out before the road can be surfaced. It is refreshing that the ADT is not only appearing to be doing a thorough job but is also listening and keeping the residents informed. It is therefore ironic that other authorities do not in the same way take their responsibilities in earnest to maximise the effort being made by the ADT and to minimise extra costs due to inefficiency and indifference.

The street has three remaining poles that have to be relined, two electrical and one lamppost. A representative of the ADT informs me that the ADT informed both Enemalta and the Naxxar council respectively so that work can progress smoothly. The council has still not moved the lamppost from the centre of the pavement even though the request was made in November, so now when finally it is moved into its proper position the pavement has to be redone. Enemalta did come to move the poles however one of the owners of a house adjoining the pavement objected that they be placed on the inner side of the pavement against their boundary wall in line with the rest of the street. Consequently one pole will have to once more be moved and the pavement redone and if action is not taken soon another pole will remain in the street with the new road surface having also to be redone when the pole is finally removed.

In this day and age such incompetence should not and cannot be ignored. The energy and the efforts to improve the infrastructure as well as to minimise the costs involved are all futile when lack of planning, consideration and simple observation of rules and regulations rule the day.

The Naxxar council has known for some time of the needs regarding this project. It is bad enough that for a whole street only one lamppost is provided and even worse that the lamppost is in the wrong position.

As for the two electrical poles it appears that anarchy continues to thrive. If we as citizens have the ability to stop each and every thing that we did not like or agree to, where does it end? Surely, there has to be regulations dictating what should and should not be done.

It is apparent to all of us that many pavements throughout the island are in need of attention and hopefully in due course they will be attended to, however it is totally unacceptable that a new project should reflect the past with pavements that are unfriendly to persons using wheelchairs or parents with prams.

Fair and decisive authority is the only way forward as long as authority is able to command respect. Unfortunately, as things stand this total lack of coordination is not only detrimental to the residents but also to the total cost of the project.