Heavy vehicle almost hits Marsa footbridge
Photo: Raymond Huber
Traffic chaos was averted yesterday morning when a truck transporting heavy machinery almost crashed into the footbridge in Aldo Moro Road, Marsa, stopping very close to it as the driver realised he would not go through.
Had he kept driving, the vehicle he was transporting would have hit the bottom part of the bridge, possibly damaging it and, no doubt, bringing traffic to a standstill in one of Malta’s busiest roads.
That is precisely what had happened in April when a trailer carrying an excavator crashed into the bridge, causing gridlock along the main thoroughfares of Marsa and surrounding towns.
That traffic jam even led to some flights being delayed when air crew got stuck in the tailback. Some Matsec exams also had to be postponed. The incident yesterday, which took place at about 10.25 a.m., had already caused long lines of traffic along the four-lane artery but with the help of a traffic warden the driver reversed into a side road to make way for the accumulating traffic.
In a similar incident last month, a trailer transporting a container just missed hitting the footbridge when the driver realised just in time he was not going to clear it.
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Karl Consiglio
Aug 26th 2010, 02:07
Hehe...Again.
Paul Caruana
Aug 25th 2010, 12:33
This would be funny, were it not for the serious disruption that such incidents cause. It is about time that Transport Malta contacts all licencees of heavy vehicles, and warns that it will throw the book at them next time such an "accident " occurs.
Having said that, I wonder if the reason why the operators of such high level transport evidently don't give a damn about all this is because legally they risk very little when such an accident happens. Perhaps it is time to introduce a specific, and stiff, mandatory fine (of a few thousand euros) anytime we get a repeat performance of the April incident.
Ramon Casha
Aug 25th 2010, 11:03
Isn't it about time that traffic authorities start to enforce some of the other traffic signs, such as maximum tonnage, height or width, as well as the "no heavy vehicles" signs?
Sergio Caruana
Aug 25th 2010, 10:48
Heavy vehicles drivers who overload their vehicles must have their license revoked for 5 years to teach them a lesson and if caught driving without their license or on a second offense their license must be revoked for life. That is the only way they learn. This should also be make compulsory for those drivers who litter the roads with spalls, sand, rubbish and concrete by nor having their load properly covered.