Some streets less equal than others

I am a frequent visitor and fan of Malta, due to private connections. So over the last 20 years I have been able to note the changes and development taking place on the island.

Roads have long been a cause of anger, but things have become much better, with a big exception: Down in lovely Mellieħa, where I used to stay, there is a street called Triq il-Pont. And - astonishingly - many years ago, when I visited this part of Malta for the first time, this road was very bumpy, dusty and not asphalted at all. It has remained the same ever since and the road now looks more like a creek than a street.

People and especially children are suffering from the dust, and the approaches to the houses are very demanding for cars and tyres as there are many huge holes in the street. How can that be? Malta is a small and beautiful country and is a member of the EU. Is there nobody responsible for streets, for the security and health of people? What is the reason for this incredible, scandalous 20-year-old situation? Corruption, lack of permits, incompetence? I don't want to believe any of this. Does some other reader have an explanation?