Dangerous traffic in Lija village core

I refer to the law report titled Heavy Traffic At Excessive Speed Annoys Lija Residents (June 28).

Permit me to bring forward the following observations for the attention of readers.

The traffic deviation put in place is simply a no right turn intended to ensure that much of Attard traffic does not pass through Lija's village core in an attempt to avoid traffic congestion elsewhere. Lija residents and those on these very same streets who complained and filed the protest still proceed straight through Lija village core, that is through Triq Sant' Andrija.

This volume of traffic has caused not only serious environmental concerns in the village core but also serious health and safety concerns. Residents of Triq Sant' Andrija cannot feel safe walking on the pavement during rush hour, let alone let their children wait on the pavement for school transport. The road has been converted into a race-track and ours, for the record, is a narrow, one-way road. It has become habitual for vehicles to pinch the pavement with their tyres and to drive onto the pavement at high speed. At this rate there will be a fatal accident.

The situation was no longer tenable on all fronts. It should not be reduced to a Nimby argument but be considered objectively and seriously in order to find the right solution.

Safety of residents first, concern for the environment second, personal interests last. Well done, Lija council.