Illegal traffic signs must be 'removed'

Traffic signs which have not been approved by the Malta Transport Authority must either be "regularised" of "removed", Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said told The Sunday Times.

Dr Said, who is responsible for local councils, said: "No one is above the law. Councils, like anyone else, have to abide by regulations and laws."

A number of councils have in recent weeks admitted to erecting a number of advisory signs - including notices urging drivers to park front bumper to pavement - without the approval of the ADT. After the Sliema and St Paul's Bay councils, the Ta' Xbiex and Rabat councils also admitted these signs were illegal but were serving their purpose.

Ta' Xbiex mayor Antoinette Vassallo and Rabat mayor Sandro Craus said the signs were put up in the best interest of residents, adding that wardens had not issued any fines to motorists who disobeyed the instructions on these signs.

Mr Craus said: "I know we put them up in the parking area opposite the Roman Villa but I didn't know they're illegal. Parking a car with its exhaust pipe pointing in the direction of people's windows should be illegal - and not our signs. As far as I know, wardens never fined any motorists."

Mr Craus said now that his attention was drawn to the matter, he would be contacting the ADT.

The Ta' Xbiex council put up one sign in Princess Elizabeth Street. Ms Vassallo said: "I expect ADT to tell us if a sign is illegal. They've been there for years but we were never told anything. If the ADT tells us they're illegal, we'll just say sorry and remove them. But this sign is just advising motorists to park facing buildings. Nothing controversial in that."

Last week, St Paul's Bay and Sliema mayors Graziella Galea and Marina Arrigo said they had directed wardens not to continue fining motorists for ignoring the illegal signs.

A legal expert confirmed that according to the law, local councils and tribunals could not reimburse motorists once a fine had been paid. Motorists could only receive a refund if they took the council to court, which was likely to end up being a more costly exercise than the fine itself.

mxuereb@timesofmalta.com