When the authorities hear no evil

Quntz... Quntz... Quntz ... is the incessant hammering that many residents in Malta and Gozo have to endure until the early hours of the morning before they are allowed to sleep. This dose of Chinese torture is being inflicted on us by unscrupulous clubs who are above the law and regularly cause public disturbance through loud music till 4 a.m. or even after.

This culture of Quntz... Quntz... Quntz... is now spreading to other uninhabited areas where private parties are being held by groups of people who also feel it is their right to deprive others of their rest. The worst thing about his situation is that the police are covering up for these activities. Frustrated citizens who call the police to do their duty are met with lethargic replies. Typical responses are: “The club has a permit to open till 4 a.m.” “The permits are being issued by the Malta Tourism Authority.” “You’re right, but what do you expect us to do?”

When, at 3 a.m., I drew the attention of the Rabat police station to the mayhem at Attard caused by Club Numero Uno, the police officer at the other end of the line remarked: “Oh well, you only have one hour to wait before the music stops.” The following day I woke up with a splitting headache, which impeded me from reporting for work.

It is about time that this issue is addressed in a manner that befits a civilised nation. Personally, I have never advocated closing times for entertainment outlets. However, they cannot, under any circumstance, be allowed to disturb the public peace, particularly during the night.

Outlets that do not provide complete soundproofing should never be allowed to play music after 11 p.m., even if they have the permit to stay open for business until 4 a.m. This is the practice in other countries where even outdoor rock concerts normally start at about 8 p.m. and finish by 11 p.m. On the other hand, outlets with soundproofing – discos, jazz bars and the rest – are free to operate beyond that time.

No one has ever complained about noises from cinemas after 11 p.m., simply because cinemas go about their lawful business without disturbing others.

It is not just the police who are reluctant to take action to curb these abuses. In the exercise to draw up a national Noise Action Plan, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority has purposely excluded the effect of the entertainment outlets on noise pollution. Mepa should take note that the impact on the environment and people’s health of Quntz... Quntz... Quntz... is far more damaging than traffic noise, as any doctor will testify. In the Maltese context, any noise action plan will be a waste of time and resources if this is not taken into consideration.

It is evident that the authorities are deliberately turning a deaf ear to the complaints of so many families who are regularly being deprived of a fundamental physical need – sleep. They would much rather seek excuses to protect the interests of unethical operators than side with the legitimate needs of those who are forced to become unwilling participants in an orgy of noise throughout the summer months. Whether this is a result of incompetence, political pressure, bribery or simply apathy, is immaterial. What is certain is that the owners of the entertainment outlets take advantage of the seasonality factor, because they know (as do the police) that the issue will be pushed on the back-burner towards the end of autumn and action is delayed for another year.

This cannot go on. There is mounting frustration and anger from those who are repeatedly being subjected to sleep deprivation.

Basically, for the rest of us to get our 40 winks, the authorities have to be shaken from their slumber!