Truck drags down cables in Attard

george farrugia

May 11th 2010, 22:56

Why are people acting surprised.??... Can anyone remember when they have last seen a police man or a warden give a ticket to a truck driver? These seem to be a protected species in Malta and I believe the reason for this is not difficult to decifer. In the meantime the bridge still has the steel mesh exposed to the elements and rusting quickly, meaning that even more permanent damage is being done to the structure through even furher negligence.

Philip Sultana

May 11th 2010, 17:28

Bad and careless driving are endemic in Malta and a national embarrassment. Nowhere in Europe have I witnessed such disregard for common courtesy, road regulations and road safety. It's as if rights of way, priority, slow and fast lanes, indicators and stop signs are non existent. Why can't the Maltese stop BEHIND the white line and resist the urge to inch their way into main roads causing oncoming traffic to swerve? Why can't slow moving vehicles use the inside lane? Why is it so difficult to learn the right of way at roundabouts? And how much energy can indicators use? It makes us look like a race of primitive barbarians! The situation is exacerbated by poor road conditions and lack of proper signage. The authorities will have to tackle these issues sooner or later ...

simon cutajar

May 11th 2010, 11:26

Can you please drag down my water and electricity bill ! Please bring a very high apparatus with you cause is going higher and higher all the time .
pajjiz tal- mickey mouse

Michael Grima

May 11th 2010, 09:42

Shame Shame Shame!
But I blame the authorities( Police and local wardens) for the lack of enforcement. Are these massive vehicles so hard to spot or what!!!!! Or we are afraid to act!

JOHN O SCERRI

May 11th 2010, 08:56

I have stated more than once that there is a law dating back from during the Labour Govt in the 80's which states that heavy trucks, trailers, cranes must be accompanied by traffic police.
Either this law needs updating because police complement is not enough or a more strict measure of compliance is needed for who is licenced to operate heavy machinery.

It is now very clear that incidents such as this , overturned high up trucks, Marsa episode and the likes show lack of proper awareness and preparation on the part of who operates these vehicles.

The only solution would be to re-organise all drivers into taking a full course in operating heavy machinery leading to an international certificate of compliance after a proper exam is carried sat for . Yes why not?

I wish ADT would take my suggestion seriously.

Factory forklift drivers must all have a dedicated driver's licence after sitting for a course and a test. The same should be done for heavy vehicle drivers , local and foreign.

C Ellul

May 10th 2010, 19:17

Do we need the equivalent of CABS to patrol our streets and get the road hogs? Seeing certain means of transport on the road , you just cannot believe how the police / wardens simply do not stop them and check the validity of their licence. If the police still have to attend court in their free time , then no wonder . Since VRT certification is on line , they will also know who certified these dangerous vehicles.

Mario Farrugia

May 10th 2010, 18:02

www.ghalgolhajt.com
PS This website does not exist=D

F.Buttigieg

May 10th 2010, 17:04

One of the problems I see that brings about such accidents is the fact that there is no minimum height established by law at which people or organizations can fix their services across our roads. In reality these services should be found underground and not be an eyesore cheaply fixed all over the place.

By time cables tend to sag and reduce the clearance height yet those responsible for their upkeep do not normally have in place a system through which they rectify such problems, nor is there any signage along our roads indicating the height of obstructions.

The Marsa Bridge should have had pre warning signs indicating what its clearance high is, this could be considered a shortfall on the side of the Authority responsible.

Claire Busuttil

May 10th 2010, 16:48

Where are the police in enforcing laws for these heavy trucks???

they are usually seen, carrying much more than they should......without a proper cover for the material they are transporting.....moving like an ant......covering the roads with dust, and exhaust.......do these vehicles do the VRT ?
Do the police check, the trucks seeing passing buy, if the driver has the special license? as it seems, that many of these drivers, are without license?? Shame on the police......in this small island, they are not able to control these things......

jafarrugia

May 10th 2010, 16:36

I blame the Police, simple as that.
In other countries people abide by the law as they know if they brake it while driving there in deep trouble, hefty fines, points on license, etc etc. In Malta the only place you see a traffic police is early morning on the roundabouts. They drive without seatbelts, talk on mobiles, cigarette in one hand or out of the window. No one cares as they know what to expect from them. (you get the respect you give)
Look what happened with the bridge incident the Police hadn't a clue how to control things.
The force need s a big shake up starting from the Top, earn respect from joe public and show who's in charge, get proper training and equipment and things will improve.
Untill that happens the cowboys on the road will continue to do what they like.

D. Pace

May 10th 2010, 15:12

The exactly same incident happened on Saturday morning, at the same place. I saw a couple of workmen trying to put the cables back up. Don't think a good job was done. A truck was parked in front of the fallen cables.

Raymond Cutajar

May 10th 2010, 14:24

Most of the blame for lack of Road and drivers' discipline stand squarely on the shoulders of the Transport Ministry and the then ADT (TM?)
Well before the implimentation of the V R T scheme I highlighted more than once to all concerned especially to the then director of the LTD Mr Paul Galea and the then technical expert Mr Richard Farugia and also to all ministers then and thereafter up to the present that the public needs to be INFORMED and be EDUCATED
No Money for such campaigns and in an attitude of " ' uck off who the hell do you think you are ---- " WHY?
The Government of the day NEVER really wanted a proper VRT regime fearing that hell breaks loose with the buses and commercial sector IF PROPER vrt PROCEDURES ARE FOLLOWED
TEN AND a HALF YEARS passed since the introduction of the V R T and you still find drivers who do not know what a car log book looks like let alone what a VRT test entails "But theother station does notRevTheEngSohardfortheDieselSmokeTest !

Darren J. Galea

May 10th 2010, 13:01

I have more than once witnessed skip trucks loaded with 3 FULL SKIPS on top of each other speeding down the Salina road. This thing blocks out the sun it is so high. These truck drivers are cowboys who think they own the road. No surprise these things occur when the authorities do nothing to enforce the law (except by bullying citizens who can't fight back).

mpace2

May 10th 2010, 12:38

Can you please if possible or only in Malta do these things the M.T.A take notice what its happening and inforce its laws about the disgracefully what going around our roads everyone do what he/ she likes- running this country of ours in jungle type system

Jimmy Magro

May 10th 2010, 12:21

This is the work of the police (that are totally absent from our roads) and the wardens that usually hide after a tree until they find someone doing a minor mistake.

we cannot continue to say ONLY IN MALTA as after all these mistakes are paid from our taxes, taxes and taxes.

M Vella

May 10th 2010, 12:04

Dont shout because you will wake up the police

Louis Azzopardi

May 10th 2010, 11:58

I don't drive a truck or other heavy vehicle but this is a farce. Besides looking left and right and trying to anticipate from which angle an idiot is about to emerge, do we have to look up as well? Unbelievable

Colin Attard

May 10th 2010, 11:58

I agree wholeheartedly with the fact that high vehicles must be held responsible for damage caused as happened in Marsa last week, but on the other hand isn’t it about time that all overhead cables “Third world countries style” that we have all over the islands and that are property of Enemalta, Go, and Melita be put underground? By the way a cable belonging to GO in Sommier str. B’Kara and that is dangerously hanging low has been reported for several times but nothing has been done so far. Whose responsibility would that be if something similar happens?

Anthony Briffa

May 10th 2010, 11:48

The drivers of heavy vehicles and route buses always considered themselves as the kings of the roads. Some of them also have this term painted on their trucks. This arrogance has never been checked by the authorities, and whenever there are accidents, enquires take excessive time to be concluded. This arrogance manifests itself into reckless driving, shoddy parking, hooting of horns whenever they are held up in traffic. The list is endless. This unchecked behavior is an ongoing matter. In the face of all this we are burdened with the presence of the Traffic Wardens who are afraid even to look at these individuals and impose their authority only on the common drivers. This brings me to the inability of the Councils to safeguard the interest of the community when contractors are transporting equipment and materials through towns and villages, especially when certain centers like Sliema and Bugibba are supposed to be classified as tourist and shopping centers. It is embarrasing to be in Bisazza Street for example having to endure the continuous hooting of horns by heavy truck and route bus drives the moment the traffic slows down, with tourists looking in amazement.

Peter Korsten

May 10th 2010, 11:37

Hmm. There are basically two entry/exit points from the entire village of Attard (in the direction of Valletta at least) and this is one of them. You can take either this one, coming from Balzan/Birkirkara, or you can come from the Mriehel Bypass, taking a right turn at some point and passing in front the primary school.

On exiting Attard, you can take this road (which is too narrow to have to two cars pass 100m from where this photo was taken, let alone a truck or one of the many buses that pass from here), or take Valletta Road. But in the morning, you cannot pass next to the school, of course.

You could drive out of Attard from the other end, near Kind's, towards Mosta, double-back and drive to Iklin, but it's a bit of a detour.

So, what we need is the following:
* More exit points from Attard
* A bypass to the south of Attard
* Underground cable ducts; it looks like a third world country

And yes, truck/crane drivers should pay better attention to where they're going, too.

ABORG

May 10th 2010, 11:34

i give up to try and understand why some things are done in this country....veru bla dixxplina ta xejn fuq it toroq...u irresponsabbli ghalina u ghal haddiehor! where are the wardens? the greatest number of contraventions are done not when a vehicle is stationery, but whilst on the roads.....just drive too from a place to another and you can witness all this:)

Ramon Casha

May 10th 2010, 11:12

Look at the traffic sign at the entrance to that road - no trucks are supposed to enter. Makes you wonder which direction the truck was coming from, because from my observations nobody takes any notice of these signs. There are several "no heavy vehicles" signs all over Ħ'Attard and other places and trucks roar merrily past them all day long.

Robert Attard

May 10th 2010, 11:11

Its about time all wires go underground...... at least one eyesore can be hidden.

Andrew Bonnici

May 10th 2010, 11:01

these type of people are ignorant, in the sense that they dont want to learn to be careful. "Xala biebu" kind of mentality! probably this truck driver was not insured and had no license. Gahan!

C.Spiteri

May 10th 2010, 10:59

In Attard, especially next to the quarry, these no entry signs are being ignored on a regular basis by trucks. Apart from this, these trucks (some of them wihtout an appropriate cover) produce tons of fine dust that is becoming a real health hazard to the persons living in the road. It seems that both the council, MEPA and central goverment are completly toothlees against the cowboy that owns the quarry.

Who shall be paying for the health and environmental damage? Not much of a choice - us the tax payer!!

Paul Barrett

May 10th 2010, 10:57

If a truck hit the cables, the questions to ask is are: Were the cables at the legal height in the first place or had they subsequently become below the legal height through lack of maintenance. A normal high truck would not hit any cable that is at the legal height across a road so it is only if the truck was carrying an extra high load that the cables would be liable to be hit and the driver need to take extra care.

S. Calleja

May 10th 2010, 10:49

Tghid ghandu licenzja u insurance dan?

joe vella

May 10th 2010, 10:48

pse keep in mind we are living in cowboy land
it is the contractors who rule the land not the guys who spent hours ranting at each other over a simple yes or no matter!
these things happen all the time and they are repeated with impunity, just look at the other bit of news re the guys who brought malta to a standstill (marsa incident) - I invite any toni, pawlu or peppi to go about driving his car around for a full 4 years without licence, insurance etc. just try it and see what happens- I got fined Lm30 cause my dog pissed on the road, yet these guys just do it, no matter what! who knows perhaps it's cos my auntie is not ganna!

John Ebejer

May 10th 2010, 10:47

And this reader is right. Often, these louts - no better word comes to mind in describing them - simply do as they please, as cowboys in westerns, and get away with it, either because they look burly, or because they start swearing b'Alla w bil-Madonna, or because they drive heavy vehicles. Something must be done and the Police must give a clear and unequivocal signal that Malta is not being ruled by the law of the jungle!!!!!

Joseph Cachia

May 10th 2010, 10:37

The large truck (a 10 wheeler with an integrated crane behind the cabin, and carrying conrete blocks) was parked just ahead of the wires. It must have pulled the wires with the jib of the crane. Cars driving to Attard had to drive through Triq San Antnin, then through Triq Annibale Preca. Heavy trucks serving a construction site in this street were parked just forwad of the monument located at the end of Triq tal-Mirakli. No warden was on site and traffic was just stalled, with no space for two cars to pass at the same time. Some cars even ended up passing through Triq Massimiliano...it was a whole mess!

R Zammit

May 10th 2010, 10:36

Everything is getting within reach, lately!!

Noel Bartoli

May 10th 2010, 10:34

how come did the truck drag down the cables ? It should have not been there in the first place!!! Check out the road signs !!

carmel callus

May 10th 2010, 10:30

This may be another case of breach of the vehicle maximum height regulations. The embassy's security cameras might have caught the culprit!

M. Cilia

May 10th 2010, 10:27

Did the truck driver stop and report the damage and danger to others? If not, shame on him!

Eric Gahn

May 10th 2010, 10:25

So should the attitude of companies stringing cables all over.

A. Grech

May 10th 2010, 10:24

I agree with the photographer but a better solution to eliminate these hanging wires would be to channel all cables and ducts through underground systems, hopefully designed as tunnels to allow easy maintanance, protection against damage and most importantly, roads would not need to be cut open every time there's a leak or some pipe or duct needs repearing, but i guess we still need to realise that if we start today we will finish earlier than if we start tomorrow. To reduce costs this may be done by locality, starting from the highest points continuing to lower ground to make best use of gravity to avoid excessive use of pumping stations. I know i know, i do dream a lot don't i.

Kristian Scicluna

May 10th 2010, 10:20

One can also see that there is a no entry sign for heavy vehicles. But it seems nobody cares.... including the local council.

Kirill Micallef Stafrace

May 10th 2010, 10:20

The sign showing that no trucks can pass through that particular street says it all.

C.Mallia

May 10th 2010, 10:20

A couple of months ago i assisted to an incident like this while i was going to school. A truck drag down cables in Pieta ... in the main road to St.Luke's Hospital. I thanked god that St.Luke's is no longer operative because i can't imagine the chaos that would have created such an incident.

EDWIN DE MARCO

May 10th 2010, 10:19

I think this couldn't care-less attitude is not only present in some truck drivers. You should come & have a look at illegal parking in Rabat, Malta. Right under the nose of the local council's office, bang right on the yellow lines on a narrow corner! Who cares? The authorities over there certainly don't. I can name numerous streets/corners where illegal parking takes place every day. Wardens?Zzzzz!Zzzzzzzzzz!

M Pace

May 10th 2010, 10:18

some time ago as my daughter was passing by a truck which cut a telphone cable. If she had been a few meeters nearer she would have been cut apart like in the film Ghost Ship. These drivers attitude should be correcte forthwith before anything series happpens

D. Scerri

May 10th 2010, 10:15

Any insurance on this truck?

As a side note, it would be nice if we could have all utility cables run in conduits beneath the roads.

It would also be nice if the government would ensure we had quality roads.

Vince DeBono

May 10th 2010, 10:13

Rather, wires have to be put up higher UNTIL they are placed properly underground !