Government urged to make Mriehel bypass safer to pedestrians
The Mriehel bypass and a monument to pedestrians killed while crossing.
The House of Representatives has started debating a private member's motion urging the government to remove dangers to pedestrians attempting to cross the Mriehel Bypass.
The motion was moved by Labour MP Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, who said it was shameful that in 20 years, the government had not done anything to remove the danger, which has claimed several lives.
It was regrettable, she said, that measures for safe crossing were not built into the design of the road.
But it was also shameful that the Transport Authority had felt that a footbridge was not feasible since it claimed, only some 42 persons per week crossed this busy road. This, she said, was not true. She had spoken to the residents of Tal-Blata housing estate and many of them needed to cross four times a day to go to the heart of Qormi.
The residents, she said, started living there well before the road was built. And in any case, people's health and safety should always come first.
Ms Coleiro Preca in particular paid tribute to the family of Ms Sammut, who lost her life on this road 20 years ago, and the families of Emma Marie Housley, 17, and Graziella Fenech, 13, hit and killed by a car in August 2005.
Safety measures, she insisted, needed to be installed without further delay.
A spokesman for Transport Malta told The Times last year that a footbridge was not economically feasible and the authority was looking at alternatives such as pelican crossing lights.
“The footbridge designs have been completed and a Malta Environment and Planning Authority permit is in hand. In view of the re-thinking process, tender documents have not yet been prepared in relation to the construction of the footbridge,” the spokesman said, when asked whether plans were in hand.
Alternative arrangements being evaluated included the installation of traffic signals with integrated pedestrian facilities at the intersection with the industrial estate access road, the spokesman said. Guard rails would also help to channel pedestrians away from dangerous crossing areas.
Opposition roads spokesman Charles Buhagiar said pelican lights were not safe enough while speed cameras were ineffective since motorists slowed down as they approached them, then drove at speed again. Therefore, the only alternative was an overhead footbridge.
Popular Stories
Update 3: Woman found dead in car,...
Updated: Woman dies in car crash
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Part of Dwejra 'Azure window' collapses
The end of the bar that ‘never closed’
Bundy does not know whether to...
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
This WAS the night - Kurt makes it...
'No need for early election if PM's...
In Discussion
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
Gozo tunnel could take 5-7 years to...
CABS remote controlled aircraft shot...
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Joseph Calleja condemns portrayal of...
Updated: Labour would give...
CABS drone shot down
Second group of migrants arrives
Adrian Vassallo in scathing...
8 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Alf. Galea
Jan 10th 2011, 18:03
If it is true that only 42 people cross in a week, the cheapest alternative to a bridge is a zebra crossing. The traffic flow would 'disturbed' only 6 times a day, once every 4 hours........peanuts. So why all this halliboo, when there is this two penny, safe solution
albert leone ganado
Jan 10th 2011, 12:42
What puzzles me is MP's standing up and saying that pelican lights are not safe enough on the Mriehel bypass. But then why are they safe on the B'kara bypass?. Certainly a much larger number of pedestrians cross the B'kara bypass as it straddles two much larger residential areas with commercial outlets on both sides. The solution at Mriehel lies with pelican lights, reduction of maximum speed limits and barriers to prevent pedestrians crossing other than on the pelican lights. Wardens for a couple of weeks who book pedestrians who do not use the approved pelican crossings would soon put safety sense in the reckless who risk their life and limbs.
Dennis Zammit
Jan 10th 2011, 12:13
@ Andrew Borg Cardona
The responsibility pf the safety of a pedestrian's life cannot be shifted onto the driver. It has to be up to the same pedestrian himself to ensure his safety by no taking any unnecessary risks.
Many times, pedestrians take a risk and expect the driver to take dangerous measures to avoid them. Then is is up to the driver to face the music. The pedestrian is never seen as the main cause of an accident.
M Mealclaff
Jan 10th 2011, 12:04
Am wondering why it is named the ' Mriehel Bypass' Since it does not By pass Mriehel.
The Road ends up at Mriehel not By passes it .!
Ramon Casha
Jan 10th 2011, 11:29
If you want to make this road safer, remove the crash barrier that was installed a short while ago. This crash barrier is placed right in the centre of the pavement, forcing pedestrians to walk on the road.
A footbridge is not necessary here. Instead, a pedestrian crossing (traffic lights) can be placed under the Qormi flyover. This is where most pedestrians cross anyway, to get from Qormi centre to the mostly-industrial area near HSBC centre. Since traffic going under the flyover need to slow down anyway because of the roundabout, placing traffic lights here would minimise disruption.
Andrew Borg-Cardona
Jan 10th 2011, 11:17
Leaving aside the feasibility or otherwise, if a bridge is constructed (and if it saves a single life, get on with it) will it be made an offence if pedestrians cross the road without using it?
Dennis Zammit
Jan 10th 2011, 11:15
I do not want to seem as judging this specific case but in 13th December Road in Marsa, there are 3 bridges crossing over this main arterial and busy road with one of the bridges specifically designed for pedestrians ONLY.
Regretfully, the Govt or some other insane authority had also decided to by pass the overhead bridges and place a Pelican Lights crossing in this busy road where most vehicles travel at non-urban speeds.
So, will this Mriehel By Pass have the same fate with an insane zebra crossing? Can't a neat clean subway do the job?
R Borg
Jan 10th 2011, 10:44
I'm sure that even if an overpass or subway is constructed, people still won't make use of it. Too lazy to walk an extra 100 mtrs. It think that there are far more pressing road safety issue to be resolved even for drivers not just pedestrians. Take the numerous traffic lights on the b'kara bypass, how is it safe to stop traffic on a bypass? I think it is there that overpasses need to be built. Btw, there is a subway on the B'kara bypass which rarely is used and numerous times I see people trying to cross right infront of Klikk computers to get to the bus stop even though the subway is just a few metres away!