Malta looking better, shame about the litter (3)

I have recently returned from yet another holiday in Malta. Since my first visit in 1981, I have returned to the island on so many occasions that I have lost count, although I suspect it must be 50+.

An article in the FM supplement (issue 129) by Pia Zammit, on the litter problem, prompted me to write to the Times of Malta.

I love Malta and the Maltese people, and it is my wish to one day retire to the island. There is no doubt that the infrastructure is improving and, with the aid from the EU, will accelerate. I visited the island at its best, trees and flowers in bloom, the countryside a myriad of colours and gorgeous scents. On several days during my visit, I hired a car and took to the more remote areas of the island. One such sojourn took me from the environs of Buskett towards Siġġiewi, a quiet country road, with trees, fields, flowers, empty plastic water bottles, the odd fridge dumped on the side of the road, and perhaps the most obnoxious sight, "walls" created from rusting oil drums (a practice I thought was illegal ).

I often sing the praises of Malta to friends, many of whom have visited the islands on my recommendation. Many return to Malta, but some will not until the island is "tidied up".

My suggestions would be that now is the time to access EU grants, to provide more litter bins, more street cleaners, both human and mechanical.

During my 10-day stay, I only once saw a street cleaner, armed with a brush and a wheelie bin, outside the Santana Hotel in Qawra where I stay.

This should be done on a daily basis, especially in a tourist area. Involve young people, especially in schools to adopt an area and keep it tidy, give householders suitable containers to put in their waste, rather than plastic bags left on the pavements. Make developers and constructors responsible for removing building waste. Divide the island into zones, each one with a suitable vehicle and a couple of people who would daily patrol their zones, removing general litter, and that from fly-tippng. If you are seen to be tidy, then others will follow the example.

I hope my comments are useful and productive, to an island and its people that I cherish so much.