Mounting problem of loud noise (2)

I have been following Ray Fabri's correspondence regarding loud music at night and I can understand his predicament.

Everybody knows that loud noise is a health hazard but local authorities don't care. For two nights in a row this weekend we had to endure excessively loud music coming from the Liquid Club in Tal-Balal. The music starts at 9.30 p.m. and lasts till 4 a.m. the next day.

I've been complaining about the excessively loud music emanating from this open-air venue since 1991 when it was known as Vibes Disco and later Wall Street. I wrote to the Prime Minister, the Commissioner of Police, elected representatives from the ninth district (the ones who remember we exist once every five years), the local council and even our MEPs in Brussels, but nothing changed. All I managed to achieve out of two court cases and a number of appearances in court to testify was a risible fine of Lm25 imposed on the owner in 2007.

Mr Fabri still thinks that this is a civilised country. I beg to differ. This country is worse than the Wild West. Perhaps the Prime Minister should ask himself whether local councils are doing their part in serving their community as part of the reform currently underway. Better still, he could take a leaf out of the mayor of New York City's book in dealing with excessive noise levels in the Big Apple. The Police Commissioner on the other hand could introduce a quality-of-life hotline to gauge the problem of noise caused by noisy neighbours, village feasts and open-air music events.

The fact that excessive noise is hazardous to our physical and mental health is corroborated by literature in international medical journals like Noise & Health. Until the authorities wake up and do something about this mounting problem we'll have to endure such barbarism and hope that we don't get killed in the process.