The perils of Valletta Road, Luqa (2)

The dire state of repair of Valletta Road in Luqa, where a 20-year-old youth met his death driving a motorised bike last Tuesday, raises the question as to whether the deplorable state of the road contributed to the young man’s death. Although I do not want to jump to premature conclusions on who is to blame for this accident, the public should be well aware of the dangers of this road. Since last month when Triq il-Kunsill ta’ l-Ewropa was closed for repairs, traffic in Valletta Road has increased dramatically.

Valletta Road connects Luqa with Marsa and offers those living in southwest villages (Żurrieq, Safi, Kirkop, Mqabba and Qrendi) the shortest driving alternative to the busiest parts of the island.

The other practical alternative for people living in villages southwest of Marsa is to drive through Luqa-Qormi (Luqa Road). Although this road is well paved, the route is longer and often congested. Valletta Road is full of potholes. I calculate that some are as deep as 20 centimetres and others as long as 80 centimetres.

They are often found close together, creating hazardous areas along the road, and one such area is that where the road merges with Anton Falzon Street. That particular part of the road has been destroyed by large potholes.

Just one day before the accident I had the rear tyre of my bicycle punctured as I passed with moderate speed over the series of potholes that are located just beyond the WasteServe civic amenity site in Valletta Road. The tyre was certainly not over-inflated, given that I had just completed a 250-kilometre bike ride in Sicily just 13 days before and had not yet bothered to re-inflate either tyre. Groups of potholes such as these often force motorists to drive on the wrong side of the lane.

To make matters worse, the road is poorly lit and there are no street lights in the worst-affected areas. Given the circumstances in which the young man died, namely that he was driving at dusk in a poorly-lit road, compounded by the fact that one is often forced to drive on the wrong lane due to potholes, I wonder whether the state of the road was a factor contributing to his death. In view of the hazardous situation in Valletta Road, the responsible authorities should repair this road at once, independent of the outcome of the magisterial inquiry.

As a bare minimum, the responsible authorities should at least notify drivers about the large potholes present in the street with adequate road signs, so as to caution drivers about possible dangers.

Lastly I express my sincerest condolences to the relatives of this young man.