Mellieha by-pass carriageway reopened - TM

Stephen Abela

Aug 8th 2012, 07:46

I am astonished and bewildered! Is this the king of service that we deserve from our authorities? Is it possible that local councils are allowed to use TM to abuse the Maltese citizens twice? Have anyone even considered that the roads in these countries are constructed and maintained using the taxes that each and every one of us are supposed to be paying. Those are public property and no one can dictate their use for personal gain!. This is clearly an abuse of power and a crime and should not be allowed to go on impunity.

Alfred Grech

Aug 7th 2012, 10:42

A big problem exists and it will get much worse in the near future. A new bypass needs to be built leading to Cirkewwa. Mellieha's main road was not built to handle the amount of traffic that uses it. Use the money where it is needed and not in silly bridges and unneeded parlaiment buildings.

Joe Brincat-LL.D

Aug 7th 2012, 09:07

Just for information : In the UK, between 1985 and 1995, the road network was increased by 24000 miles of new roads. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roads_in_the_United_Kingdom#1997_-_the_present_day). That means 2400 miles per year.

In Malta:
200 metres in Marsa since January and not yet ready.
Garibaldi Road, months.
Cirkewwa Road, ages.

All on Schedule as per TM.

Karl Sammut

Aug 7th 2012, 07:24

Transport Malta and the Mellieha Local Council seem to be doing their best to create one big mess! And only to accommodate the shop owners in Triq Borg Olivier! Patrons of said shops can easily park parallel to the main street and walk down the few steps. That's what I do anyway cause it's safer to park away from the main street.
Furthermore, whoever had the idea of stopping traffic going up from Luna Holiday Complex towards the Mellieha Church (the parish church, not is-Santwarju) is plain stupid. Residents living in the Tas-Sellun area need to go all the way round the by-pass (with the ensuing traffic) simply to go to mass. I live behind the church, while my parents live iin Tas-Sellun. Normally a five minute trip. Now we're not allowed to go up the hill but we're being forced (threatened by a warden with a fine) to go round the by-pass!! Plain stupid and making all the country look silly. So much for MTA's effort to promote Malta!! Tell the tourists suffering from this that Mellieha is a "European Destination of Excellence"!! Who are they kidding??

Charlie Borg

Aug 7th 2012, 07:07

Remove the parking from G. Borg Olivier Street and the flow of traffic will flow 90% better.

Mario Sammut

Aug 7th 2012, 06:44

This is an example of Maltese management at its best !!!!! What a shambles , everyone wants to be the boss , the mayor thinks he is the great lord and owner of Mellieha , dictating to the whole population how we go about our business . He should be kicked out of his position , never to return to public service again . To the rest of the Motley crew , I ask . Haven't you made enough fools of yourselves , especially with the tourists who must be falling over themselves laughing ??? Please , for every one's sake , if you are not up to the job , move onnnnn.

Joseph Borg

Aug 7th 2012, 06:36

"It said in a statement this evening that access to the bypass has actually been open for three weeks but it was barely being used with all traffic going through the village core."

Barely used?! It's been congested since it's been opened. I've been queuing for more than 30 minutes on a daily basis to be able to reach this "so called" bypass from Cirkewwa.

It's better if TM wakes up from their hibernation and forces the contractor to MOVE and finish this bloody bypass once and for all.

Paul Ellul

Aug 7th 2012, 01:07

Upon finishing reading this article, my somewhat limited or questionable brain power had decided that:

1) The traffic experts at TM are admitting that despite the single lane access upwards towards the rest of the Island was opened three weeks ago, it is barely being used.

And my simple common sense has worked out that TM have not managed to communicated this fact effectively to the 400,000 tax payers / voters.

2) They now forcibly do this causing a lot of stress to the business community of Mellieha and to the residents of Gozo.

So basically since they couldn't communicate properly, they simply decided to force everybody and his pet parrot up a single lane 'track' which any self respecting driver would not dare drive more than 25 Km/h on.

3) The arrangements were intended to keep traffic flowing.

Yeah right! And Mary Poppin's umbrella flies her all over the place......

If is wasn't so tragic, it would be funny. But it isn't. Especially when we will find our in the forthcoming budget just how much TM costs the tax payers / voters.

Have our media no teeth? When the opposition opens their mouths, or simple tax payers like myself speak up for well intended criticism, the defenders the faith (GonziPN bloggers) come out and heckle us.

Some of the bloggers are just hilarious about how the PL will make a worse mess if they were in power.

But that's not the point. Well intended criticism is meant for those responsible for the mess to listen to the views of those affected by their actions (or lack of them)

The media seems to just skirt around such disastrous situations and fail to report the truth of the matter.
Very few articles are balanced to respect the situation on the ground.

And the official press statements like the one here, attempt to explain a really unexplainable situation and it is insulting to read the reasoning by those who are supposed to be public servants, paid by tax payers money to do the right job.

Just because TM has re-branded itself and they all have florescent jackets and name cards, and swallow tons of tax payers money, it doesn't mean they are doing the job properly. And let's face it the Mellieha roads network upgrade has shocked most tax payers who are driving through this mess. The delays are simply unacceptable.

And believe me , it matters not if GonziPN bloggers come out in full force to ridicule my comments, because at the end of the day, the mess is not being seen to, and my opinion is not going to be swayed.

Everybody has a right to express themselves after all, so I'm exercising mine. I'm sorry if the truth hurts, but the truth has to be said.

Philip Jackson

Aug 7th 2012, 00:12

or you could have used the road up by the popeye village that not one car used when i went up there yesterday

Paul A Vella

Aug 6th 2012, 23:13

Wonder what rights the Mellieha people have in protesting against traffic passing through their village streets?
If all local councils were to follow this example, then we would seriously have to consider using alternative means of transport to get us from Point A to Point B...and what other form is there?
Why Arriva of course, the main cause of traffic jams in Mellieha and other localities!!
It took me about an hour to drive down from Cirkewwa to Xemxija yesterday evening and believe me, it is no joke driving up the one lane up the Ta Pennellu by Pass in it's present condition!!
I might be asking our local council to block off my street just to show the Mellieha people driving through here just what it feels like...what a joke this country is becoming, courtesy of the Mellieha Local Council and it's residents!!

m farrugia

Aug 6th 2012, 22:34

le ma tarax is sindku ha jibqa jwebbes rasu ma jmurx jitlef voti minghand tal hwienet

hawn malta il logika tahdem bil maqlub ghal awtoritajiet

u fuq kollox hafna mill karrozzi ipparkjati ma jkunux jixtru minghand tal hwienet imma reqdin fil lukandi

Daniel Goggi

Aug 6th 2012, 21:37

This is becoming a farce just like the Regional Road bridge! If people were out yesterday, one could see the massive congestion there was at Mellieha bay, starting of as far away as Cirkewwa and ending at the very end of the bypass "ruins". We left the bay after 8pm in an attempt to avoif traffic but this was all in vain. The frustration lies in the fact that even though we're at the very peak of summer with bays such as Armier, Ghadira, Paradise bay, and travellers going to Gozo and coming back are at their best, no one was working round the clock to finish the bypass yesterday.

James Mallia

Aug 6th 2012, 21:20

Yesterday it took me almost 70 min to reach roundabout near Selmun entrance from Mellieha Bay - not to mention the traffic jam near Sea Bank hotel - shame. Just to accommodate a handful of parking spaces in main road of Mellieha. The logical solution would be that during peak ours example Sunday after 5.00pm, road would be open two ways and parking not permitted. In all fairness road should be open 2 ways at all times - pajjiz tal mickey mouse

Alfred Grech

Aug 6th 2012, 21:03

Please put the signage clear to avoid confusion and traffic delay.