The new speed limit at Tal-Barrani
It has now been over three weeks since the Tal-Barrani dual carriageway has become a 60 km speed zone from a 70 km one. A huge number of 60km and speed camera signs have popped up, and the camera posts are now in place.
Why, I ask, has this occurred? What was wrong with 70 km? Did someone dream it up? And if so, why? Do the ADT and authorities concerned enjoy playing Russian roulette with Maltese motorists, fining us if we go over the limit by a few kilometres per hour?
We already pay one of the most expensive road licences in the civilised world, and yet we still have roads that are comparable to those in third world countries. And yes, I do know that we have over 20 kilometres of rebuilt roads and a bridge funded by the EU, before people start fuming! But what about the rest of our roads? The road leading from San Luciano fort in Birzebbuga hasn't seen tarmac in over 40 years - patch work perhaps, but never tarmac. The road leading to Armier in the north is the same, along with countless other smaller roads full of potholes that would benefit from a new layer of proper tarmac.
But for environmental purposes I now have to pay double my previous road licence for the privilege of driving my car at the grand speed of about 36 mph in third gear using up more fossil fuels. If the ADT really want to make some money they should place cameras on traffic light junctions and catch those idiots who run the red lights.
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lgalea
Feb 8th 2009, 08:36
Phil Pryce
Its hibernating hoping that all the problems will solve themselves out.
Joe M. Anastasi
Feb 8th 2009, 00:10
The highway code is supposed to be sacrosanct. The highway code specifies Maltas speed limits as 80kph on open roads and 50kph in built up areas. It then says that the Commissioner of Police may change / reduce these limits temporarily in cases of emergency or force majeur.
Therefore every speed limit other than 50 in built up areas and 80 elsewhere is ILLEGAL.
But unfortunately in Malta might is right and it is more important for government to allow councils to rob us than it is to do anything about it.
I challenge anyone in authority to tell me that the above is not correct.
Albert Bezzina
Feb 7th 2009, 21:51
Last year an interview with Major Ripard (Killing Speed) announced that the authorities were embarking on a 'driver friendly system' of reducing speed and road fatalities. I shot down Major Ripard’s arguments with a counter article 'Killing Mobility'. The ADT and Major Ripard did not refute my claims that the cause of road fatalities, accidents and injuries were not exclusively caused by excessive speed. Road quality, substance abuse, lack of maintenance of old vehicles and many other factors other than, but not excluding, excessive speed were significant causes of road incidents. There is no doubt in my mind and in the mind of the 'vast majority' (to use a term favored by Major Ripard) of the inhabitants of these Islands that this is nothing more than a fine extorting exercise implemented at an early stage before the 2013 elections are on the horizon. There is rudimentary traffic, mobility and incident studies in Malta and decisions are taken ad hoc based on little objective evidence. This is also a preamble to 'force', not entice, commuters onto buses which will be managed by a new public transport service provider who will undoubtedly have influence on Government to do anything to increase custom.
Jimmy Magro
Feb 7th 2009, 19:28
The only way that one can describe drivers in Malta is that drivers are treated like criminals. The number of wardens, sleeping policemen, signs, speed cameras, taxes, tariffs, potholes, bad roads, from zipping going into the age of patching roads,
I cannot understand what is the philosphy of the ADT. Who makes the policy? Has the ADT organised any public meetings before the issue of legislation, setting up of speed cameras, making more controls on drivers, blocking all parking spaces, approval of residence parking, and the long list of infringement on the drivers' personal liberties.
And the big bang is that all these measures do not solve one single issue. So the service delivery is zero. I would downsize ADT in ten minutes and tell them to pack their bags and go home. How many times they have promised that we have a plan for the amking of Malta's roads. The truth is that they cannot even fix a manhole cover properly. Or resurface a WSC zipper as after a few days the zipper becomes a crater.
The only plans are to spend more money so that some of that money falls into an unkown pocket in Malta or Switzerland.
J Busuttil
Feb 7th 2009, 19:14
ONLY IN MALTA again!!
Maltese drivers are the best drivers in the World. They challenge moon craters - potholes, nonsense sleeping policemen, and monitored by rediculous speed limit cameras.
Oh by the way, they are also paying hefty road licence to support all the potholes, more construction of sleeping policemen and better monitoring of speed limits.
Viva Malta u l-Maltin!!
Jimmy Magro
Feb 7th 2009, 19:01
ADT is an authroity. Therefore all it does is thought of from its authority ans nothing else. These authorities are fighting for their own survival. How do they survice? By creating all sorts of regulations and burdens on the citizens. Instead of taking the side of the citizen these authorities take the side of big brother government. In the case of such authorities Malta needs to have a form of legislation that their full operations are subject to court action by any single citizen, and all proceedings to be free of charge. Otherwise there is no accountability and/or transparency.
The Times: Try to check who is the importer of the speed cameras? Try to check where the money is going? Try to check how these stupid regulations cannot be challeged by anyone except by the Opposiiton as these regulations are issued by Legal Notice? Try to check the colour of speed cameras in the UK? Try to check the transparency of the data capture system we have in place?
Citizens in Malta has lost all their liberties. The state has expanded its powers so much that Russia under Lenin would have been more favourable.
c.camilleri
Feb 7th 2009, 17:54
@ ADT I am all out for speed cameras. These prevent a lot of abuse by many machos of the roads, many times resulting in fatal accidents. But please be reasonable. I am not a Schumacher but 60 kms limit on such roads as Tal-Barrani, Rabat Bypass, B'Kara Bypass and others is absurd . One can just as well go by walk. 70 kms limit makes it more reasonable.
Phil Pryce
Feb 7th 2009, 17:32
The Times of Malta is full of letters about lack of government response to peoples concerns, whether it is speed cameras, potholes or anything else. What do we hear from the government? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Are they actually here? Or are they off on some exotic holiday spending the money from the increased taxes and speed camera revenues?
lgalea
Feb 7th 2009, 14:23
The government should step in and control all these free for all stupid traffic signs and speed limits.
The Traffic Regulations state that the maximum speed in non-built up areas is 80 kmh and that is what the speed should be, not 70, 60 and any speed which a local council, the adt or the wardens companies dream up top skin the drivers alive.
However, I don't think that the government will do anything of the sort because it is constantly seeking ways how to empty the last cent from our pockets.
Re a bridge funded by the EU, it was funded by US through our taxes and partly by other money paid by us to the eu and given some of it back by the eu with all strings attached as to how it was to be used.
Kurt Mifsud
Feb 7th 2009, 12:43
It's ridiculous that main roads are set to a limit lower than the national 80km/h. And if one is to compare Zebbug bypass with Tal-Barrani road, it's even more ridiculous that the former is set to 70km/h and the latter to 60km/h. At least they should be the other way round to make some sense...
Oh wait maybe I know the reason... maybe the speed cameras ain't there for safe driving, maybe just a new way of collecting taxes! if anyone ever noticed abroad, speed cameras have a highlighter colour so they are clearly seen and not hidden behind trees like the one in Attard. And there many many more signs, many of them with lightings and some even showing a smiley asking if you really want to pay a speeding ticket! Further more, if you take for example England, if you pay the speeding ticket within a week, you will pay half the amount.
Drivers who normally drive between 60-80km/h are normally the good drivers and not those who drive at 30-40km/h creating all the rushing and chaos behind them! And everybody knows what happens near a speed camera... speed up, slow down, speed up again!
Please choose the reason of your report below: