Thursday, 20th November 2008
Road markings that do not show
Why are the central government and several local councils failing so miserably in the upkeep of road markings? I don't go driving around the island every week but I can deduce this shortcoming from the major thoroughfares I pass through regularly.
The area around the Workers' Monument in Msida is a case in point, though by no means the only one.
The road markings showing the four lanes are obliterated, making judgment difficult as to who is in which lane.
And what about the plight of driving tourists? At least we know that there are supposed to be four lanes but they don't. I live in a district of St Julians. Recently I breathed a sigh of relief (too soon!) when I saw workers preparing to do some work in front of The Malta Independent building. Thinking I had been spared the chore of writing to The Times, I was flabbergasted when I passed that way again on the next day to see that all the ado had been to embellish the traffic islands! Paint for paint, wouldn't it have been much more cost-effective, accident-wise, if the priority had been given to marking the lanes?
That particular area, especially the part leading from San Ġwann, is an accident waiting to happen. There are supposed to be two lanes, the left one showing that it is specifically for Ta' Giorni but drivers regularly stop there and drive towards Birkirkara Road and Mrabat Street, in most instances cutting it short across the path of drivers who wait on the right lane as they should.
The very accessible mayor of Ta' Giorni once told me that there was a standing contract with the road markers that all parking bays should be refreshed every six months.
Wishful thinking! In one particular area at Ta' Giorni housing estate they have not been done since they were first installed some three years ago!
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If the right paint product for road markings is used in the first place, I am sure it will cost a lot less in the long run, rather than having to cover costs for labour and paint every few months or so to repaint our roads. The job can be done once and last for years and still remain visible!
Such road marking paints when seen aboard, tends to be a thicker layer of paint compound, which also incorporates durable, high visibility and reflective properties in it that stands out.
Can the central Government department concerned and/or the Local Councils take up the challenge and perhaps try a pilot project where the correct paint is used and set an example how this should be done correctly please? Who will be first to take up the challenge...?!?
Have to agree with Emmanuel Vella on Msida too. The Marina road from Valletta leads to (L-R): Junior College, B'Kara, Regional Road lights (2 lanes), Rue D'Argens/Marina lights (2 lanes), Marina (elevated road). First of all, an many drivers going to Rue D'Argens choose to avoid the lights using the elevated road, having to then cross three busy lanes within 30m - leave this lane for the Marina!! Then there is who switches last minute between the Regional Road and Rue D'Argens lights, ending up sideways occupying two lanes.
What about going to B'Kara? The curbside (leftmost) lane is a queue to JC, then ending up blocked by cars double parked or entering the fuelstation. The next lane has cars queuing at the Regional Road lights' left lane. So the solution many drivers take is 2nd left lane then cross to curbside at the fuel station.
Clear lanes indicating the destinations would allow the drivers to correctly position themselves in time! Similarly, on the other side of the monument, the busstop is a nightmare, causing busy traffic to funnel into one single lane for 3 destinations. And after the zebra-crossing the lanes are impossible to decipher and incredibly dangerous!
I can confirm that the area around the Malta Independent lights is an accident waiting to happen. Apart from the invisible road markings and regular illegal lane crossing at the lights of the San Gwann side (a solid white line or even an actual island could do the trick), I cannot but agree with Mark Grima about the lights timing. In a normal situation I would not, but I regularly use this intersection and EACH time I have to find a balance between not getting yanked from the back for not moving with a green light and getting cut in half by some idiot speeder who runs the red lights across - there might aswell be no lights at all (a common occurence during rainy nights btw...)!
In addition, the left lane (to Ta' Giorni) of the San Gwann lights as well as the left turn (again to Ta' Giorni, though there is no lane here) can have separate lights, since here one can continue driving to Ta' Giorni when the Ta' Giorni lights are green (there still need to be lights for priority between cars from San Gwann and the Bridge).
Some roads are unpassable not only by vehicles but even on foot!! This morning the students from San Andrea school (some 400 of them) went on a hike along the Victoria Lines. At one point they had to stop. The road has deteriorated to the state where a lake forms with water a foot deep. I have seen elderly tourists risk their life walking on top of the Victoria Lines wall to avoid this hazard.
By the way, this road was supposedly "reinstated" (ADT's word not mine) during the rebuilding of the Elizabeth II/ Mugabe highway to Mgarr and Golden Bay. I am sure that the contractor involved was paid for this but nobody seems to have checked the workmanship; a word I use very loosely here.
When it comes to road markings, please include all zebra crossings, since most of them are hardly visible - especially in rain!
There is a particular one near Lija round about where the road markings do no longer exist and the zebra crossing signs are by far too small and partly hidden by trees to be noticed by drivers - especially those, who do not know the road.
In other countries zebra crossings are visible from a far distance. They have three signs:
two on either side of the road and one in form of a street light in the centre of the crossing, throwing yellow light on the reflecting road marking, thus making it absolutly safe for pedestrians to cross the road.
For sure - and in the time of solar energy - the investment of these kind of zebra crossings is by far cheaper, than treating all those, who were hit by a car due to unsufficient lighting and signs.
All other secondary roads should be maintained by the local councils.
Regarding road markings used in U.K; I can confirm that it is of a very high quality - the main problem in our mainland is that the paint used, undoubtedly is mixed with water and thus becomes inferior!!
All other secondary roads should be maintained by the local councils.
Regarding road markings used in U.K; I can confirm that it is of a very high quality - the main problem in our mainland is that the paint used, undoubtedly is mixed with water and thus becomes inferior!!
It is the local councils responsibility to make these markings clear, painted at night, not during rush hour, and using the same techniques in road markings as they do in Continental Europe and the UK (As Mr. Sims pointed out)
Our local councils aren't doing there jobs, I for one would like some tickets to be issued, but not for the easy stuff which is all the Wardens are ticketing for.
Perhaps the fine could be settled with invisible money.