Most mayors favour reduced speed limits

Joe Bonnici

Mar 5th 2009, 14:06

The excuses in these article are futile. Having to install double glazing? That should be the standard in modern building - it is efficient both for sound and heat conservation. If speed limits and speed cameras are installed in St. Joseph High road and Psaila street - this is confirming that this is just a money making exercise. These two roads are already congested as they are with their numerous traffic lights, double parking, and badly constructed traffic islands. This will only add to the frustration of drivers and line the local councils pockets with easy money.

Local councils / ADT should get their priorities right - fix the roads first, at the end we are paying higher road licences for the same shoddy service and get those wardens on the streets not to target the easy fines such as not wearing a seat belt or using a mobile phone only (these should contine to be fined just to be clear) - fine also those drivers who drive too slowly on the outer lane, truck drivers on the outer lane, drivers ignoring road safety, drivers not have all lights etc functioning on their car etc

Paul Borg

Mar 3rd 2009, 08:37

Another reason why all private cars should be banned in Malta except for emergency services personnel and only while "on duty" with provisions for business and trade deliveries "after hours" and replaced by an "inter linked" route public transport system a la the London underground between population centres and " people mover" vans providing local services within those population centres.

Louis Gatt

Mar 3rd 2009, 06:28

I perfectly agree with the newly fixed speed camers and the new speed limits. I happen to live in a localty where one of the speed cameras was recently installed at B'Kara. We residents, often suffer 'organised' car racing in the street till the early hours of the morning. There were some 4 fatalities already and numerous serious accidents including hit and run! Besides, this particular road is heavily populated with nuberous Bus Stops and Traffic Light crossings all along the road. Incidentally there are a few roundabouts too, which get knocked or run over by cars every week! The 60 Kph speed limit is quite justified; sometimes thinking that a 50 Kph limit like the Attard road would have been more appropriate though.

M. Catania

Mar 3rd 2009, 05:45

@D Vella

Yours quoting the UK statistics is totally out of context. The reasons behing UK's traffic accidents are not the same as the ones in Malta.

Almost all fatalities in Malta occur due to overspeeding. You can check it out yourself.

R.zammit

Mar 3rd 2009, 00:00

I bet St Venera residents are the motorists (or pedestrians!) who use the tunnels least amongst all Maltese. Coming home from the north or the south 50% of residents would take the turn-off BEFORE the tunnels! Same applies to when most leave home.

Hence it begs the question........ why would St Venera residents complain about 'speeding' in tunnels 30m BELOW their residences??

Marisa Pisani

Mar 2nd 2009, 23:29

I fully agree with the comments of the Zejtun Mayor Mr. Attard. The speed limit imposed has increased uncalled for traffic congestion at peak hours. The Authority should take immediate action to make our roads a safer place where fatal accidents have happened namely the road down to Birzebbugia. All day long cars overtake Gas Trucks and other heavy vechiles. Indoing so they cross over the white continous line with a risk of crashing into cars going uphill to Bir id-Deheb. Also the road from Msida Valley to Psaila Street has a low barrier and with the development in the area this road has become extremely dangerous. ACTION!!!

Noel Enriquez

Mar 2nd 2009, 19:40

Most people are not against the speed camera, however are contrary to the ridiculously low speed set! The law says we can drive to 80Km/h and ADT says we have to go at 60! First of all if any residents are hopeful that speed cameras reduce the noise emissions they're in for a nasty surprise, when you get the occasional (actually quite common) pimped car hitting the brakes 10 metres before the camera, drive for 50 metres at 60KPH then engage a lower gear to obtain maximum torque from the engine, and resume the speeding. So the noise issue makes no sense and will be worse due to higher revving engines. On the other hand 80KPH (in non-urban areas) is not overspeeding, 80+ KPH is however. I have nothing against the Mriehel cameras because they are set to the national speed limit at 80, and the Attard ones are reasonably set at the urban limit of 50. Finally, one wonders, how these 'studies' were carried out, and motorists are astonished at the firm bullheaded stance adopted by ADT, ignoring expert advice, when the majority of motorists are requesting they be set to at least 80KPH. Vapur b'100 kaptan!!!

L..Galea

Mar 2nd 2009, 18:38

How else would the local demi-gods fill their coffers other than at the drivers expense?

john fenech

Mar 2nd 2009, 18:27

Tassew pajjiz tal-Mickey Mouse. So the traffic lights were installed because: The tunnels were used as a racing track..in fact the tunnel length is longer than the Circuit de Monaco!! Be real if over speeding is the cause then the traffic police should intervene like they do for the bus lanes infringement!! Motorist jump the red light...what’s that got to do with speed cameras?!! Noise levels in the tunnels.... how much 20 KMP reduce the noise decibel count? And St Venera council asked the ADT to install..not one but two speed cameras. This was concluded after a study was carried out by traffic experts over a period of three years, where it was definitely concluded that the accidents in this area were of excess profit to St Philip’s hospital. Come on wake up are we going to start installing speed cameras instead of speed humps?!! As regard the expenses to street furniture, if I am not mistaken the damage to crash barriers, traffic poles etc are paid by those involved in the traffic accident. If I am mistaken I might be due to a refund. The howler is that people are naive enough to expect answers from the ADT!

Adrian Cardona

Mar 2nd 2009, 18:02

great to know, so I can now vote accordingly in the next council elections....

J. Abela

Mar 2nd 2009, 17:53

No wonder councellors agree. Fines are part of their bread and butter. I can't buy the fact that st. venera cash traps were installed as residents were complaining of "deafing noise". The houses are situated well above the tunnel. All roads (as the name suggests) is accessible from one or more houses. The reason/excuse was shifted from Govt to ADT to local councils to residents. Drivers are trying to avoid speed cameras and in fact are speeding up in urban areas. Therefore more dangerous to residents in such situations. Also an article (published on a UK site) stated that the majority of accidents occur due to other reasons rather than overspeeding. It is obvious that these cash-traps are installed to tax drivers - income for govt and local councils...fullstop.

Franco Xuereb

Mar 2nd 2009, 15:52

I have been reading the comments of the general public regarding the new speed cameras since they have been installed, due to the fact that the new speed limits dropped from 80kph to 60kph. I do not know why motorist are complaining thus the ADT is only doing its job (HA HA) to protect all motorist form the potholes / and the state our roads are in.

Ian Zammit

Mar 2nd 2009, 15:27

We will make sure to remember these mayors come election time.

Joseph Pace

Mar 2nd 2009, 15:26

60 Km/h is the permitted maximum, therefore in order not to become unwilling contributors to this money-making scheme, most people reduce to around 50 Km/h. If the limit is set at 80 Km/h, most drivers will pass at around 70 Km/h, sounds like a good compromise. Any driver/vehicle combination which cannot safely manage this speed on some of Malta's best roads should be banned from using them as there must be either something wrong with the vehicle or with the driver.

D Vella

Mar 2nd 2009, 14:37

So what does this prove?? That most Mayors know nothing about traffic and at best, are mediocre drivers that subscribe to the asinine theory that speed causes accidents. They would seem to be blissfully unaware that a recent study compiled in the UK firmly concluded that the real cause of the vast majority of accidents is poor driving skills, alcohol intoxication, carelessness, irresponsible actions (such as using mobile phones), frustration caused by other drivers' selfishness (such as driving at 20Kmph in the outer lane). The same report goes on to state that speed is only a determining factor in a very small number of accidents!! Moreover, ridiculously low speed limits such as those now being imposed locally, and other 'so-called' traffic management measures are responsible for causing congestion and long tailbacks which on the one hand cause more pollution due to low engine revolutions and several starts and stops and contribute further to the frustration factor in drivers which may, in turn, lead to accidents.

jmallia

Mar 2nd 2009, 14:23

"Mr Fenech Adami said that "technically, no one can speed more than 60 kph on the bypass because of the three roundabouts there". How pathetic !!!

Edwin Mifsud

Mar 2nd 2009, 13:28

How wise of the Maltese people to elect majors who care so much for our lives. It did not even cross their minds that a lower speed limit would mean that they get more money generated from fines. The most important thing is that they love us an wish us good health. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now may I ask why are the Maltese made to pay extra road tax for engines capable of reaching certain speeds when in fact it is impossible to reach because of "Big brother".

Stephen Sultana

Mar 2nd 2009, 13:21

The statement issued by the St Venera Mayor is totally untrue. Speed cameras were introduced in the locality after her Casting Vote has been used. Initially the vote ended 3-3 whereas the Labour councillors strongly objected for such proposal. Contrary to what she said, this is a new way of injecting money to the joint committee and eventually will be distributed to the Local Council. Apart from that, under my administration such proposal was turned down and funnily enough, at that point in time, present Mayor has voted with the majority of Labour Councillors!! May I point out that the PN led council prior of proposing the speed cameras, has awarded a tender for €76,869 (Lm33,000) whilst the former Labour administration was managing the same tender for €51,246 (Lm22,000). Thus conculsion is evident - that these speed cameras were purely installed to render money so as to hide such failures. Stephen Sultana (Former Santa Venera Mayor)

Sandro Grech

Mar 2nd 2009, 13:10

What the councils did not consider that it is some time quicker and less risky (economically) to pass through secondary roads (i.e. for the villages themselves), rather than through the speed controlled bypass.

Rennie Stivala

Mar 2nd 2009, 12:35

I totally agree with Mr. Charles Sammut. The low speed which is permitted is only causing more traffic, and even potentially dangerous, since people are forced to reduce speed abruptly when approaching a speed camera. Personally, I have been through this a couple of times this week since I use the bypasses quiet frequently.
Had the speed limit been set to 80km/hr, I would have understood the logic behind thier presence, keeping in mind the normal speed limits imposed for rural areas, however at 60km/hr I can't but agree that they are there simply to serve as cash-cows, as every driver will exceed that speed incidentally some day or another, even if you are extremely cautious.
Authorities involved, kindly revise your imposed limits and help the average citizen understand the logic behind your conclusions.

S. Vella

Mar 2nd 2009, 12:17

May I ask what Mr Fenech Adama drives - a 50cl moped? An average 1000cc engine hatchback reaches 60kph in seconds and is still not in 5th gear. Do these people even drive on our roads?

Charles Sammut

Mar 2nd 2009, 11:29

If you were to ask residents whether they wouldl ike to ban all traffic from passing by their houses, I am sure that they would all be in favour.

What motorists are irked about is not the presence of the spped cameras but the ridiculously low speed imposed. A car at 80kph is not any noisier than one at 60kph. On the contrary, it would be quieter at 80 because it can be in a higher gear and pass by quicker.

What we have now is an unnaturally low speed which everyone is bound to exceed unintentionally at some time or another given the large numbers of traps set all over the island.

Result, more tax on the motorist.

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"Mr Fenech Adami said that "technically, no one can speed more than 60 kph on the bypass because of the three roundabouts there"."

Is this gentleman serious?

R.Farrugia

Mar 2nd 2009, 11:25

Is it any surprise that Mr.Attard is against the speed cameras when his 'master' Dr. Muscat is always saying 'LE' to anything done by the government? Instead of going against the idea of speed cameras we should all be thankful for them as they are true deterents to anyone risking his own and other people's safety. When slowing down we lose a split second but it is worthwhile for our safety on the roads

maria busuttil

Mar 2nd 2009, 10:58

I am all in favour of the cameras, and also the speed limit, what I am against is that at tal barrani there signs showing that there are the cameras, while in the other places , coming out of a tunnel you find a camera, these should not be at the exit of tunnels and should have warnings that there are the cameras before hand. Please this I found very unfair, as alot of people try to lower their speed instantly and this is very dangerous, or we just cannot do the same like tal barrani signs all over.

Ramon Casha

Mar 2nd 2009, 10:58

Of course they're in favour! Speed cameras fill their council pockets.

Councillors should be reminded that they are there to serve the resident.

I call upon all councils to publish the way that each councillor voted when deciding on these speed cameras. The public have a right to know who not to vote for.

Joe Camilleri

Mar 2nd 2009, 10:56

Since it is another form of income, now they may even ask for a wage increase