The great metal wall of Mrieħel
Barriers are going up along the Mrieħel bypass to stop people crossing as the transport watchdog shelves plans to install pedestrian lights.
The latest development follows a decision by Transport Malta two years ago to scrap plans for a pedestrian bridge, which was deemed to be unfeasible.
Instead, the authority had floated the idea of installing a pelican crossing activated when pedestrians press a button.
But this has been abandoned too, with a Transport Malta spokesman saying a pelican crossing was “not advisable”.
When the road was built in the 1990s it cut off a community of around 300 families living on the industrial estate side from having direct access to Qormi centre.
The road gained notoriety seven years ago when two youngsters, Emma Marie Housley, 17, and Graziella Fenech, 13, who wanted to reach their houses on the industrial estate side, were hit by a car and killed while crossing.
According to the spokesman, the number of pedestrians crossing the road is very low – fewer than 15 each day – and technical guidance urges caution in such circumstances because drivers who become accustomed to not being stopped at the crossing could end up ignoring it.
Instead the authority has erected metal barriers that will also help to channel pedestrian traffic further down the road towards the roundabout at Triq il-Mitħna.
“Pedestrian counts highlight that the main desire line for people crossing the Mrieħel bypass from the Tal-Blat area to Qormi centre is through Triq il-Mitħna.
“Crossing at this location is safer for pedestrians as traffic volumes are much lower and the traffic is travelling at a much slower speed,” the spokesman said.
Transport Malta is upgrading the footpaths along Triq il-Mitħna and the crossing facilities around the roundabout. This will create a detour of around 300 metres for residents on the industrial estate.
But Mary Housley, whose daughter was killed in 2005, is unimpressed.
Still scarred by what happened to Emma Marie – who would have turned 24 next Sunday – she insisted the barrier would still not give people safe access.
“If anything, the barrier will continue to ostracise the community. The authorities have not delivered on what they promised when the road was built and are now trying to patch things up,” Mrs Housley said. Her misgivings are shared by Qormi mayor Rosianne Cutajar. She said the barriers were put up without consultation with the council and residents.
“They will not provide a solution but will cage in the Qormi residents living there.”
Ms Cutajar said no expense to safeguard people’s lives was high enough and disputed the argument that a footbridge was not financially feasible given “capricious projects” undertaken in the past four years.
A footbridge had long been promised, as former Transport Minister Jesmond Mugliett said it would be up by 2007. The issue was discussed in Parliament last year when Labour MP Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca presented a motion asking the government to solve the problem.
The motion was defeated and the solution being implemented now, 19 months later, is not the footbridge but a detour.
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118 Comments
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Chris Ellul
Aug 10th 2012, 17:15
Ara il-poplu Malti vera jeqred ghal-xejn...!!
Instead of seeing this as an incentive to stop the stupidness of certain people living amongst us, we grumble...I'm not defending any political party as this has nothing to do with politics...
And anyways, rest assured that had a bridge been built, no one would use it as it would have (probably) been 'to far' to walk to as we Maltese 'irridu kollox ma saqasjna' as the saying goes.
We're not only the laziest people (or 2nd from last) but also the grumpiest!
PS: for everyone saying that this is not a highway, you're right it's not.... but for the size of the country this is (probably as i don't know the figures) the longest stretch of road without curves or bends in it... so it is a sort of 'highway'
James Wightman
Aug 7th 2012, 22:40
Disgusting
Louis Gatt
Aug 7th 2012, 16:27
On the Lia side of the so called B'kara bypass there are 4 pelican lights. On the B'kara side there are none. Why this anomaly? Are the B'kara residents of the lesser kind?
C Calafato
Aug 7th 2012, 15:34
One doesnt cross a high speed road such as the by pass. I would take a longer way home but at least i would have arrived home safley
Alfred Grech
Aug 7th 2012, 15:33
money spent on the barriers could have been spent of a footbridge.
Matthew Grima
Aug 7th 2012, 17:21
Not necessarily. But I still agree. It's a waste of time and money. Also if we install pelican crossing in this road it would just add a bit more jams. A footbridge would be ideal.
G G Debono
Aug 7th 2012, 15:19
To ----------------------Gilbert Busuttil ---------------Today, 12:09
Mr Busuttil
RE “ You can be the most responsible driver in the world, but if a pedestrian decides to cross the road without warning there will still be an accident!”
Pedestrians do not ‘decide to cross the road without warning’ – what happens is that they misjudge the (excessively fast) speed of the oncoming car – this would rarely happen with ‘responsible drivers’ who drive at a reasonable speed and within speed limitations . If everybody drove responsibly pedestrians would have time to get to the other side.
RE “There are pedestrian areas where cars are not allowed to drive …” yes like our narrow pavements.
RE “ On the B'Kara bypass there is a subway” exactly, just one subway for thousands of people live on either side…
As to Aldo Moro street – this was designed by a petrol-head – the only way to get anywhere on this industrial estate is by car ! It is not negotiable to neither man nor beast – unless in a motor vehicle.
Mr Busuttil, – according to your reasoning: Are people driving a car always ‘in a hurry’ ? - have you not ever been “in a hurry” on foot (ie when not in a car ?)
As to your comment “To avoid walking some metres etc …..” Distances might look like ‘a few metres’ to somebody in a car but when you are on foot it can feel like like miles – epecially if you are carrying something heavy.
Please explain to me why motorists (and TM) are so reluctant to make concessions to other road users in Malta ? .
E. Azzopardi
Aug 7th 2012, 15:12
No wonder we are the second most obese people in the world. Or are we on top of the list?
The amount of Pelican lights in this country is ridiculous. And we complain of traffic jams with the detriment to our environment . ( Please note Mr G G Debono - you are all for the environment) Now, some ( because the majority are against) want to install lights on our mini highways. Can you imagine a red light there, with many of our morons speeding up behind you, and yes, on the mobile or sending messages?? Can you think about that Mr. Debono? With the way you are reasoning things, I am convinced that you are even unable to "imagine" it.
Well done to TM for this but NOT for removing the Pelican lights at the roundabout near the ex gax tanks Kappara. I wish I knew who was/were those "bright guys" who decided to remove them. It is free for all there with near misses every minute. This intersection will not be solved soon and therefore it would be advisable to install traffic lights again. It is not ideal but better wait a little bit and then pass safely.
S. Calleja
Aug 7th 2012, 16:53
If you find that the number of pelican lights in Malta is ridiculous you haven't been much abroad (and I'm not referring to the motorways of course). Pelican lights do not cause traffic jams. It is the number of cars that causes traffic jams. If you find this hard to comprehend, think that a pelican light is not adding more cars, but simply introducing space between queues of cars, a space that will easily be filled again by other cars coming from different directions and by the same cars behind the lights, which will quickly refill the space once the lights turn green. Yours is unfortunately a very common misconception. In fact, pelican lights act as traffic calming measure, and can actually ease traffic by introducing holes that give space to entering traffic from other directions, which would otherwise be stuck there for a very long time.
G G Debono
Aug 7th 2012, 17:11
RE “The amount of Pelican lights in this country is ridiculous. “
Do you mean too many pelican lights? Or do you mean too few ?
Re “Someone wants to install lights on our mini highways” _ yes why not if they can save lives and benefit pedestrians ? - - - here we have a truly "mini-" highway which people need to cross. A pelican crossing would make no difference to traffic if it is synchronized with the light a little way down the road so that any car which waits at a red light on the pelican crossing will automatically find a green light at the other end - provided he doesn’t over speed.
In any case, things are a bit more complicated . Overall traffic jams are caused by other traffic not crossings.
Ethelbert Schembri
Aug 7th 2012, 14:59
It would have been much better if they invested that money they spent on that useless bridge that takes to nowhere, to make a bridge here instead of this stupid metal fence !!
Jes Farrugia
Aug 7th 2012, 14:46
Transport Malta x'differenza hemm min din il-bypass ta l-Imriehel ghal triq Dicembru 13 fil Marsa?
Fi triq Dicembru 13 fil Marsa saru Pelikan Lights ghalfejn fil bypass ta l-Imriehel LE?
James Tyrrell
Aug 7th 2012, 14:24
A typical example of just how much the present Government cares about the Maltese people. They have no problem financing and building a bridge to nowhere but refuse to provide a footbridge to provide safe passage to people across a busy road. According to Transport Malta only 15 people cross the road per day so I guess the possibility of 15 deaths is acceptable to GonziPN.
Gilbert Busuttil
Aug 7th 2012, 14:59
There is an ALTERNATIVE...read below. All people have to do is walk and cross form the other end. Same distance! And yes the government does care about the Maltese people. Just look around you. We're better off than some EU countries who face hardships and austerity measures. Quit complaining.
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Aug 7th 2012, 15:10
LIKE!
E. De Marco
Aug 7th 2012, 14:19
I've read all the comments and most of them disagree with each other. You have to get this through your heads. MIN JIKKMANDA JAGHMEL IL-LIGI. TM does not care about people's grievances or comments (good or bad). It does what the experts at TM decide, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT.& WHETHER THE EXPERTS ARE WRONG OR NOT. Only time and (hopefully not) more accidents will prove who is right or wrong. A big thank you to TM for plodding on regardless,,,,
Chris Borg
Aug 7th 2012, 14:04
Prova aqsam Highway barra minn Malta!! Lanqas huwa possibli tidħol għaliha mill-ġenb!
S. Calleja
Aug 7th 2012, 14:31
But the Mriehel bypass is not a highway, so what's your point exactly?
C Calafato
Aug 7th 2012, 15:36
@ S Calleja
Mriehel bypass is a highway by maltese terms. No one should be able to cross the road there. No one is seen crossing roads on the auto strada del sole in ITaly.
S. Calleja
Aug 7th 2012, 16:26
Maybe the fact that the autostrada del sole is 754 km long with a speed limit of 130 km/h and spans across most of Italy has something to do with not being able to cross it... U le.
Jonathan Scerri
Aug 7th 2012, 13:54
Human Life cannot be measured by ANY feasibility study. Why not make an architecturally interesting bridge? It would be a win-win situation. As for the funds: they seem to be available for other unnecessary projects, so why not this one?
Charles Muscat
Aug 7th 2012, 13:32
This is something like you can never police it.
S. Calleja
Aug 7th 2012, 13:25
Stop comparing the Mriehel bypass to a motorway, as an argument against having pelican lights. A 2km stretch of road with two lanes in each direction and a speed limit of 80km/h is NOT a motorway. You probably do not even realise how ridiculous this comparison sounds.
A. Mifsud
Aug 7th 2012, 13:24
pelican lights for pedestrians is no option here - they will cause fatalities for sure. However a subway or foot bridge should be considered. Apart of the financial impact TM should also consider the necessities of the Qormi community who live in the area. Afterall it was not they who decided to have a road cut right through their neighborhood. As a motorist I can accept that this was necessary, but usually pedestrian rights take precedence over motorists and not the other way round.
G G Debono
Aug 7th 2012, 14:56
RE "pelican lights for pedestrians is no option here - they will cause fatalities for sure. "
They will cause fatalities for sure. - why ?
Louis Gatt
Aug 7th 2012, 13:05
Whoever is comparing a ypass to a german autoban does not know what he's saying. Furthermore a bypass is not a motorway or autostrada! It is a bypass to take out traffic from a village center making life easier to pedestrians, motorcyclists and motorists alike. I happen to live near a bypass... Dun Karm Psaila Road or as most drivers know it The Birkirkara Bypass. This happens to be one of the most dangerous roads in Malta. Accidents happen everyday due to negligence and overspeeding. The speed cameras are placed a mile apart giving more than enough time for law breakers to reduce speed just as the camera approaches and increase it again thereafter. Road noise and noisey car silencers are the order of the day ... increasing at night when unofficial racing often take place. All this happens every day. The Authorities should check and supervise these roads named bypasses NOT autobhans for safer legal driving.
Fortunato Said
Aug 7th 2012, 12:29
Did anyone compare the cost of the barrier against the cost of a light footbridge?
Richard Mifsud
Aug 7th 2012, 12:28
Shame on TM, so this country has the money to spend on useless buildings such as the new parliament and not for a proper footbridge in a bypass. Putting pelican crossing in a bypass is ridiculous and makes no sense!! I would be delighted to know who's experts idea was this?
John L Galea
Aug 7th 2012, 12:26
Hasn't TM heard of flyovers?
G G Debono
Aug 7th 2012, 12:19
To ..................oe Gatt........................Today, 11:47
RE “ …….disagree with Traffic lights on by-passes.” …….sole intention of improving traffic flow…..”
“ …. traffic lights in them we we rendering them ineffective….”
RE “……….German Autobahn?..”
Mr Gatt, this is a piddly one-mile bit of road. If you ever drove on an autobahn, or any motorway, you may have noticed that they stretch for 100s of kilometers and not one tiny mile (1.6 km) .
Unilke an autobahn, this teeny-weeny bypass has a roundabout at one end and a traffic at the other end – so a synchronized pelican light will not make a difference !
.
Reuben D. Spiteri
Aug 7th 2012, 12:15
Why was the pedestrian bridge scrapped? Surely it wouldn't have been so expensive right?
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Aug 7th 2012, 15:13
Sorry but the money was spent on building the bridge going to nowhere on the Valletta breakwater. It's a better occasion for the Minister to party and spend more of our hard earned cash. Whoever heard of celebrating the opening of a footbridge?
O Kassar
Aug 7th 2012, 12:14
With the quantity of metal used as barriers one could have erected an iron bridge, very common abroad on such by-passes.
pacifico galea
Aug 7th 2012, 11:59
MELA SE NONFQU BALLA FLUS BIEX INZOMMU INIES MA JAQSMUX IT TRIQ BIEX MA NAGHLUX BICCA MINA JEW BRIDGE. IMMA LIMPORTANTI LI NONFQU IL FLUS FIX XEJN BHAL MA GHAMILNA GHAL BRIDGE TO NO WERE
Tonio Farrugia
Aug 7th 2012, 13:28
x'ghandom x'jaqsmu l-flus?! ... jew il-politika??????
ejja nikbru ftit... jimporta???
Ian Bugeja
Aug 7th 2012, 13:56
tunnels and bridges won't work. They end up being avoided by people as they are dark and can be dangerous in other ways.
Deo Catania
Aug 7th 2012, 14:32
Tonio Farrugia, qabel tigi tiddefendi lil gonzipn tieghek kun informat bil-fatti. TM iddeciedew li ma jsirx foot bridge ghax l-ghorrief taghhom qalu li ghall-ammont ta' nies li jaqsmu kuljum min hemm l-ispiza mhix vjabbli. Ghalhekk jidhlu l-flus u l-politika, kemm qed tahsibhom injoranti lin-nies?
Brendon Vella
Aug 7th 2012, 11:57
Isma', dan il-panik kollu għal 300m mixi? Imbagħad nistagħġbu għax aħna fost l-aktar pajjiżi għażżenin. Dawn it-300 metru mhux se jieħdu aktar minn 3 minuti mixi...
John Attard
Aug 7th 2012, 11:57
TM should make it illegal for pedestrians to cross roads like this.
G G Debono
Aug 7th 2012, 15:13
................and it should be made illegal for cars to drive too fast along our roads..
and............. and ..............
Maybe it should be made illegal for anybody to walk on roads --- cars only allowed ? ---
Joe Gatt
Aug 7th 2012, 11:47
I disagree with Traffic lights on by-passes. By-passes are constructed with the sole intention of improving traffic flow. When we put traffic lights in them we we rendering them ineffective. Have you ever seen traffic lights on a German Autobahn?
The solution to crossing by-passes are bridges or underground tunnels. they are definitely cheaper than the Gozo Tunnel and much more useful! And they have to be accessible to cyclists, push-chairs and wheel chairs!
J. Camilleri
Aug 7th 2012, 11:54
Well said joe. I agree 100% with you.
S. Calleja
Aug 7th 2012, 13:10
One must really stretch imagination to compare the mriehel bypass with a German autobahn. The Mriehel bypass is not a freeway connecting two cities several hundreds of km apart. Having one pelican light that is used 15 times a day will certainly not cause any major inconvenience to traffic. I would rather compare the bypass to an Australian highway, and even this is stretching it. A highway is a major arterial road usually with two lanes in each direction, but it is not a freeway (or as Europeans call it - a motorway). It would intersect with other major roads every say 1 km and controlled by traffic lights. Highways typically have several pelican crossings. See my comment further down below for a more detailed description.
S. Calleja - Melbourne
G G Debono
Aug 7th 2012, 15:21
Mr GAtt
Did you notice that there is a roundabout at one end of the bypass and traffic lights at the other end? ..and that the bypass is only one mile long - - not exactly a motorway and hardly a highway ...
Shawn Grixti
Aug 7th 2012, 11:42
an underground tunnel like in floriana would be great to eliminate an eye sore and risk of hitting a bridge with a truck like what happened in Marsa
G G Debono
Aug 7th 2012, 11:41
This is all so stupid. This bird-brained solution is again to favour cars and not the needs of the small community in this part of Qormi . And so the two young girls have indeed died for nothing. Now the only choice for people who need to get from one part to the other of their town, or want to reach their houses on the industrial estate side is to be ‘channelled further down the road towards the roundabout at Triq il-Mitħna. or go by car. All very Hunky Dory for cars - which have won over people again.
What makes this solution particularly absurd is the fact that, besides being a mere one-mile stretch of road, this bypass has a roundabout junction at one end of and a traffic light junction at the other end - It is not motorway and hardly a highway. For instance imposing a speed limit would only lengthen transit time by a few seconds and, in any case, there is no reason why pelican lights crossings synchronized with the traffic lights at the far (Attard) end of the bypass cannot be installed. Such a pelican crossing would not make any difference because cars that are stopped by a red light at the pelican crossing would have a guaranteed green light at the far end. This, being one of many other solutions for a community of around 300 families living on the industrial estate side from having direct access to the Qormi centre.
But according to a Transport Malta spokesman, a pelican crossing was “not advisable”.
This because “the people crossing are “fewer than 15 each day” - this again shows t lack of reasoning and TMs bias towards traffic flow and not human life – first of all on what basis is the number of people crossing put at 15 ? Has it occurred to TM that ONLY 15 people (dared ) to cross because it is so dangerous ? Has TM considered a trial period of traffic calming (as was suggested in a letter some months ago) in order to find out how many more would cross in crossing was facilitated.
thought of a good number of solutions before setting up this prison fence?
But, what has TM done in its wisdom? Rather than taking steps to encourage drivers to drive responsibly and giving a little priority to pedestrians, motor vehicle drivers are further invited to drive carelessly by being provided with yet more barriers to prevent them going off the road. (presumably if they “lose control” which is a uniquely Maltese disease.)
TM's idiotically limited vocabulary of solutions (barriers, speed humps and speed cameras placed to make money rather than save lives) is gradually suffocating our country by making life more difficult for the young, the old and those who do not own a car. And so we get fatter and fatter.
Gilbert Busuttil
Aug 7th 2012, 12:09
For the nth time....if you cross the road from where the bridge is being proposed....one still has to walk a fair distance to the left. so what's the point? Walk the same distance on one side of the road and cross from under the flyover. I do it all the time. Everybody wins. Same walking distance! Plus the community in Mriehel can opt not to walk through the by-pass but through the housing estate itself that exits from in front of HSBC head-office. What's all this nonsense of cutting off this area? The bridge will still force pedestrians to walk the same distance!
You can be the most responsible driver in the world, but if a pedestrian decides to cross the road without warning there will still be an accident! So why build the bridge when a solution already exists? Bridges are built when there is no alternative route, like in Aldo Moro Road. And yes, TM bias drivers in an area specifically for cars. There are pedestrian areas where cars are not allowed to drive in but it seems that pedestrians can walk wherever they like, even in one of the most busiest roads in Malta. On the B'Kara bypass there is a subway but I've encountered countless reckless pedestrians crossing the road. The same applies to Aldo Moro. To avoid walking some metres and use the bridge, people just cross the road from in front of scan to go to Marsa sports grounds! Fact is we're just plain lazy.
Lucienne Dimech
Aug 7th 2012, 11:34
Please no traffic lights pedestrians tend to just cross without bothering to call the red light it happens on the b' Kara bypass also same pedestrians tend to prefer risking their lives so as not not walk a few meters to actually use the pelican lights. A bypass should not be used by pedestrians it is there to ease traffic from urban villages and thus meant to have a f,ow of cars driven at a higher speed without the fear of finding some pedestrian who expects to cross when and where he deems convenient
G G Debono
Aug 7th 2012, 12:09
That's right ms dimech !
Blame the pedestrian ! Car drivers are infallible !
RE " A bypass should not be used by pedestrians it is there to ease traffic from urban villages and thus meant to have a f,ow of cars driven at a higher speed without the fear of finding some pedestrian"
That's right ! Pity the poor car driver !
Deo Catania
Aug 7th 2012, 14:39
GG Debono, it happens many times that pedestrians cross on red lights. Of course you will say it's not true and even if an accident happens because of this you will still blame the driver.
Jimmy Magro
Aug 7th 2012, 11:30
I fully agree with the new great wall. Even the road crossing is dangerous since our national main roads should not have such exit/entries points. Drivers have the right to have safe roads. The majority of drivers are good drivers and we do not need pelican lights, speed cameras, speed control mechanisms and other car breaking devices.
The community of Qormi has also the right to a safe crossing and a creative bridge should be erected to ensure safety crossing to all.
Such a bridge exist in Aldo Moro Road and I wonder how many persons cross each day. But the Government that constructed that road had social values and used the social cost benefit analysis tool and not the capitalist feasibility study yardstick.
Government is not there to make a profit on everything. Malta is made of persons and not with capitalist speculators and hence those responsible must provide a sustainable solution.
To quote Dr. Franco Debono: if you cannot provide the solutions, resign!!
anthony bartolo
Aug 7th 2012, 12:05
To quote Dr.Debono: if you cannot provide solutions, resign!!..........then Mr . Jimmy Magro will step in and solve all the problems.
Mario Tabone
Aug 7th 2012, 11:26
For goodness sakes !!!! Always moaning about everything. Well done Transport Malta.
These sort of barriers are used regularly overseas where you get dual carriageways and wider roads. I spent 30 years in the UK and I saw most things happen on the roads but never the unbelievable stuff you witness in Malta. I have seen motor scooter riders cross over the central carriage way and believe it or not even pony and carts doing U turns over the central strip. Until we learn to obey the rules and observe driving protocol we leave no choice to the authorities to take drastic action.
E. Azzopardi
Aug 7th 2012, 11:22
TM is totally correct here. You do not install Pelican Lights on such roads. I am convinced that with Pelican Lights there will be more serious accidents.
The crossing should either be underground or above ground.
Mario Tabone
Aug 7th 2012, 11:38
I agree with you to a certain extent Mr Azzopardi. I will go a bit further to ask , why do pedestrians need to cross this road ? This bypass is as close to a dual carriageway (maltas little motorway ) as damn it. Overseas it is actually illegal to walk on motorways and we all know that maltese drivers reach speeds on this bypass equivalent to motorway driving !!!!!
We cannot expect to have these roads and then moan about not being to cross them like little village roads !!!
The culture here has to change and if a detour is needed then so be it. Overseas you would not just get barriers in the middle of roads such as this one but on the side walk as well .
As far as the bridge is concerned, I suppose if one were to be built, the first time somebody jumps or falls off it will be Transport Malta or the Governments fault as well !!!!!!
G G Debono
Aug 7th 2012, 12:07
Mr Tabone
reach speeds on this bypass equivalent to motorway driving !!!!!
Mr Tabonet this is simply nonsense. Motorway speed are not needed in Malta, nor are they feasible. Before introduction of the 120km/h limit in many countries speeds of 200 km/h were normal. I used to run my son to university 330kn/h several times a year - I used to leave home at 10 am and be back for tea-time.
It is common for people to drive people to an airport 200 -300 km away - that's where speed in needed....
With our piddly distances in Malta even 60 km/h is fast enough. Even a bike can be faster. !
This is a mere one-mile stretch with a roundabout at one end and a traffic light at the other. FAr from a motorway !
You need speed when you destination is hundreds of kilometers away,
Mario Tabone
Aug 7th 2012, 16:51
@ G G Debono
You got everything twisted around your neck mate !!!!
I actually agree with you and was just stating that we all know that Maltese drivers abuse the speed limit !!!!
You do not have to convince me about long distance driving at high speeds on motorways. I lived abroad for 30 years and have done thousands of miles on motorways. I also happen to have served 22 years in the Uk police dealing with accidents and drivers of all sorts, so I think I am qualified to comment.
Driving in Malta is horrendous and most drivers have got no courtesy towards others at all.
Well done Transport Malta and whilst you are at it desmantle all speed cameras cause they are neither use nor ornament and replace them with traffic light and junction cameras.
G G Debono
Aug 7th 2012, 17:18
Sorry Mr Tabone if I misunderstood you !
It is just that I am on the side of the pedestrian and I feel that, on our little island too much importance is given to motor traffic and too little to other road users.
Humble apologies again..................
Mario Tabone
Aug 7th 2012, 19:50
G.G.Debono
Thank you but no apology required !!
K. Vella
Aug 7th 2012, 11:22
Ridicolous if TM will install traffic lights...
If one considers the feasibilities on traffic management one should better look in the Marsa intersection, how many driving minutes lost in that congestion.
As regards to the St. Venera by pass, a subway or a bridge is the most practical way to cross that road.
Mr Tony Gatt
Aug 7th 2012, 11:13
I live near a dual-carriageway in Chester; it has a double barrier in the separation reservation. Kids just vault over it.
Mario Tabone
Aug 7th 2012, 17:39
And your point is ?
If kids want to jump over barriers then they will and nothing TM does is going to alter the fact. Bridges also provide a danger both to drivers and pedestrians. The same unruly kids that jump over the centre barriers are likely to get into the habit , like they do in the UK , of chucking concrete or other debris at oncoming traffic from the bridge, they hang over these bridges to scrawl graffiti on the outside of the bridge, people jump off these bridges committing suicide by oncoming vehicle or just fall off when they get too drunk and start climbing for a prank . These are but a few reasons why bridges over dual carriageways are not the best ideas.
People in Malta are quick to judge and try to make an issue of these arguments, be it for political reasons or not.
The truth as I said before lies in the fact that we have probably the most uncourteous drivers and until this changes , the powers that be have to consider draconian alternatives.
adrian agius
Aug 7th 2012, 11:07
a bridge over here would have made more sense than the bridge at the break water leading to nowhere !!!
anthony bartolo
Aug 7th 2012, 12:11
adrian agius..........gheneb qares!!!
Stefan von Brockdorff
Aug 7th 2012, 10:58
Why not a simple not super expensive BRIDGE!! Lights will disrupt traffic that is already unbearable at times! The bridge does not need to resemble the golden gates bridge for whoever said that a bridge is unfeasible!!
Gilbert Busuttil
Aug 7th 2012, 11:22
Bridge or no bridge...pedestrians will still need to walk 300m to the left to get to Qormi. So what's the point? Walk the same 300m on the Mriehel side of the road and cross from under the flyover. SIMPLE!
G G Debono
Aug 7th 2012, 11:56
So according to Mr Busuttil the solution is "SIMPLE!" - - All pedestrians need to do, he tells us, is to 300m to the left to get to Qormi.
All this so that drivers are not held up for a few seconds by other possible pedestrian-friendly measures.
This is a truly car-crazed country!
Tanja Cilia
Aug 7th 2012, 10:55
This is a ridiculous solution - in any case, most people (many more than 15, if someone would care to take a headcount) cross from further down, on the Santa Venera side, where there are the shops selling household goods and sewing machine attachments, on ether side of the street, before the bypass proper begins. There, the danger is higher, because pedestrians actually have to lift their legs and balance on a narrow ledge, in between negotiating two near-endless streams of traffic. Graz and Emma were going home, and that is why they, like the aforementioned 15 people, crossed from further up.
Rita Zammit
Aug 7th 2012, 10:53
Please do not put pelican crossing lights in Mriehel Bypass !!!!!! Please hallu triq vojta ghal karozzi. Spiccajna invazati bil-pelican crossing lights !! Kull fejn thares tara l-lights and every 10 meters isib either a zebra cross or else a pelican crossing light hawn Malta !! X'ma jkunx hawn traffic !!! U bicciet minnhom jaghfsuhom ghalxejn:( I remember Malta 15 years ago meta kont tara a pelican traffic light f'zona importanti mhux tara wahda kull 10 metri !!
R Saliba
Aug 7th 2012, 11:35
UX!!!! and the thing I hate the most is that people dont even use them!!!! take B'Kara bypass for example - It wouldn't be the first time that I see people crossing without using the lights which are only 10 meters away!!!
People should know better and learn to go round like we drivers have to sometimes due to all the one ways and pedestrian passageways.
Mr Karl Ciarlo'
Aug 7th 2012, 10:53
I think that it is the right decision to stop people from crossing such a major road. Pelican lights should NOT be on such a road, especially when one need only walk a few meters down the left side of the road to cross safely below the flyover. If people are allowed to cross wherever they wish to, they would still have to walk the same distance on the other side to get to Qormi. With regard to having to drive on the other side of the road in the event of an accident, how do you propose I get onto the other lane, as I do not drive a 4 wheel drive and there is a centre strip in between.
G G Debono
Aug 7th 2012, 11:46
" especially when one need only walk a few meters down the left side of the road to cross safely below the flyover. "
A few metres ?
This is real petrol arrogance.
So, according to what you say - pedestrians are forced to walk a long distance to traverse 25 metre road. when a pelican crossing would just hold up motorists for a few second - or not at all if the lights are synchronised with the lights at the end of the ropad.
Paul Barrett
Aug 7th 2012, 10:47
With the fantastic skills and outstanding ability of drivers to hit anything and everything close to a road, I do not expect this "fence" to actually last too long. If nothing else, the fence must have reflective plates installed, the road marking white paint should be re-done and the fence should be protected by a crash barrier on both sides.
Mr Mike Farrugia
Aug 7th 2012, 10:44
Why not construct an over bridge (with steps) and pelican lights activated by a smart card for wheelchair bound individuals only. Thus, traffic will not be disrupted at all.
Franco Abela
Aug 7th 2012, 10:43
Barriers won't stop people from crossing... it just makes it more dangerous but still some will try to cross if needs be.
To stop crossing you have to give people a safer alternative, otherwise what do you expect them to do... walk up all the road to use the traffic lights?
G G Debono
Aug 7th 2012, 15:29
well said, Mr Abela
C Muscat
Aug 7th 2012, 10:42
Dawn b'xejn??????
Ma nafx kif ahna, nivvintaw biex il-gvern jidher dittattur.
Jien ma inhix minn hemm imma nahseb li haqqhom pedestrian bridge... min jaf kemm swiet dik it-triq u kemm thallsu flus zejda kemm taht il-pl u taht il-pn....
S. Calleja
Aug 7th 2012, 10:38
I cannot understand what's wrong with a button-activated pelican crossing. On any Australian highway (with typical speed limits of 70 or 80 km/h) you will find several of them (e.g. every 1 km) and they do their job really well. Of course, the amber would last for much longer to give cars time to slow down and come to a complete stop (about 10 seconds), and the red light would only last for just enough time for someone to cross (about 15 seconds), providing the least of inconvenience to traffic.
S. Calleja - Melbourne
Jo Gatt
Aug 7th 2012, 10:38
Malta joined the EU, but it seems as if we are looking more like being a poor African country with all these ugly measures. If one of Malta's main sources of income is Tourism, sure the strategic vision of decision makers should always align to keeping Malta aesthetically appealing? Nothing against the barrier, it will prevent a lot of unnecessary pedestrian accidents, but did we have to go with "ugly"?
Charles Bayliss
Aug 7th 2012, 10:36
The Great Wall of Berlin being erected in Mriehel. What an eyesore.
B. Jones
Aug 7th 2012, 13:19
You've never been to Berlin then
joseph saliba
Aug 7th 2012, 10:35
No distance is distant on this tiny island inhabited by the most obese moaners the world over. With thanks to M'louise.
tyson vella
Aug 7th 2012, 10:29
What if there is an emergency that Requires drivers to be on the other side of the road, they just jump in the fields i imagine, who ever thinks this was the right decision is one of those silly people who would agree with everything gonzi or joseph say to please the country, those people who if asked to jump from a bridge would do so as its gonzi or joseph who said it, where is common sense????
Gilbert Busuttil
Aug 7th 2012, 10:46
What if...what if...what if...! these types of barriers are used all over the EU. Why should we be different? Believe me....the emergency services are more than competent to deal with the situation should they be needed.
Deo Catania
Aug 7th 2012, 10:28
TM is a hopeless authority, the general public is fed up of their decisions, which decisions work against the public. Gonzi himself should be ashamed, if he was a serious PM (something he's not) he would have ordered TM to built the bridge irrispective of what their stupid studies say.
Joseph Scerri
Aug 7th 2012, 10:20
I don't know why, but a road with fence in the middle reminds me of a third word country and not something modern of a EU country.
God bless the souls of the 2 girls.
Mr Lawrence Mifsud
Aug 7th 2012, 10:19
Let them have a foot-bridge. It doesn't matter if goes from Qormi to Qormi!
The new bridge, costing 3m Euro, goes nowhere.
Patrick Zammit
Aug 7th 2012, 10:19
Transport Malta, always there to make things worse, as always...
Stephen Zammit
Aug 7th 2012, 10:18
Who builds a bridge for 15 crossings a day? And then would you walk 300meters or climb 2.5 storeys and down again on the other end?
tyson vella
Aug 7th 2012, 10:31
We spend millions on stupid bridges like the one in the port why shouldn't we spend another million for stubborn people who want to cross,
Mr Victor G Mercieca
Aug 7th 2012, 10:13
Who ever at TM has decided this very long stretch of Metal fencing dividing the roads does not meet road safety standards for starters, another death trap in the making & actually how much is this costing Vs a pedestrian a metal foot bridge? Probably works out pretty much same costs!! However Ironically we commissioned a historical foot bridge that leads to nowhere for many millions of Euros in Spain!! I am sure the total cost would have covered this basic pedestrian elevated walkway.....something is very wrong how we do things here?
Victor Calleja
Aug 7th 2012, 10:10
Great solution TM. It seems that the administration of TM lacks common sense.
Anthony A. Mifsud
Aug 7th 2012, 10:06
How cheap and low can the TM get?
This is to replace the Bridge?Shame on the autority TM
Too late as always GONZIPN....
Ninu
Edward Curmi
Aug 7th 2012, 10:14
x'ghandu x'jaqsam Gonzi PN..how pathetic u are
Deo Catania
Aug 7th 2012, 14:45
Sur avukat ta' gonzipn Edward Curmi, TM taht min taqa?
B. Jones
Aug 7th 2012, 10:02
".....pedestrian bridge, which was deemed to be infeasible."???
So, how much is a life worth in the eyes of Transport Malta?!?
What TM and the MPs should realize is that each life is the equivalent of 1 vote!
It would be interesting to know how much it will cost TM to do the metal barriers and the upgrading of the footpaths along Triq il-Mitħna plus the crossing facilities around the roundabout compared to the costs of building a pedestrian bridge.
Let us face it: people will continue crossing the bypass, with or without this silly fence; hence, the danger factor remains the same.
Mr Peter Korsten
Aug 7th 2012, 09:58
Unbelievable. We can have a roofless theatre, a parliament building nobody asked for and €1.5 million, in the pockets of Renzo Piano, but not a footbridge over one of the busiest roads in Malts.
Jurgen Calleja
Aug 7th 2012, 09:56
My question is: why are people living in industrial areas? Aren't industrial areas bound to be used by the industrial community for industrial purposes?
John Caligari
Aug 7th 2012, 10:08
a silly question.
Franco Farrugia
Aug 7th 2012, 10:10
People are NOT living in industrial areas. People are living at the precincts of an industrial area and they were unlucky enough to be ostracised from the rest of Qormi when the road in question was built. You surely cannot expect them to leave their homes and find elsewhere to live.
Jurgen Calleja
Aug 7th 2012, 10:36
No of course not I actually think that 300 families can easily make up a hamlet or village with their own enmities and local council etc. I don't really see why one cannot walk down to the roundabout as TM suggested. It's still quite dangerous to walk in the middle of the farms and fields when it's dark personally I prefer to walk from near the roundabout.
T Mifsud
Aug 7th 2012, 09:54
Why not a footbridge? Why is there one at Marsa to serve the illegal immigrants and not one in Qormi to serve our Nationals?
Gilbert Busuttil
Aug 7th 2012, 10:04
1 - Because in Marsa...whichever way you walk there is no way to cross the road safely at the end of the road.
2 - The bridge was there before the open centre was created.
Franco Farrugia
Aug 7th 2012, 10:08
Absolute rubbish! The footbridge at Marsa was built long before 'illegal immigrants' arrived at our shores so your assertion is, at best, ridiculous! And your words betray your 'hidden' agenda.
P BORG
Aug 7th 2012, 10:52
@T. MIFSUD
Melius est tacere, cum nihil dicat
(It is better to remain silent when there's nothing to say)
J Farrugia
Aug 7th 2012, 09:47
The above photo just goes to show how TM have absolutly no clue about road safety, those metal fences if hit by a vehicle will turn into a deadly weapon, come on if your going to do something do it properly.
James Ellul
Aug 7th 2012, 10:06
don't be stupid, if someone looses control it's because of excessive speeding so it would be his/her fault.
at least this fence would provide some sort of barrier, protecting traffic coming from the opposite direction
J Farrugia
Aug 7th 2012, 10:19
James you can loose control for a million different reasons, blow out, avoiding another vehicle etc etc, that fence is not designed to deflect a car at all, you obviously have never driven abroad have you.
H Attard
Aug 7th 2012, 09:47
what happens if someone looses control and crashes into the side of the first barrier? This seems to be just another death trap... thanks TM
Franco Farrugia
Aug 7th 2012, 10:07
What happens if someone looses control and crashes into the side of a footbridge? It's been known to happen. It happened in Marsa. Either way, you cannot please everyone.
Philip Hili
Aug 7th 2012, 10:14
@ H Attard
Oh!!! Mr. Arrard, "what happens if someone looses control and crashes into the side of the first barrier? "
there will be the barrier to avoid the car ending on the other side of the road, avoiding a worst accident.!!
Edward Curmi
Aug 7th 2012, 10:16
It will save the vehicle from colliding with another vehicle on the opposite side and cause more injuries/deaths!!
J Farrugia
Aug 7th 2012, 10:37
To all those who are delusional and think that a fence will stop a vehicle on a road where the speed limit is set at 70 kph have to seriously get a reality check, that fence will just bend and dislodge. you tube car accidents at various speeds and you'll see for yourself.
H Attard
Aug 7th 2012, 14:06
unfortunately it seems that none of you are thinking of what will happen when someone crashes head-on into the side of this screen coming from the balzon side... it wont collapse but it will act as a wall and smash the car in half since all the bolts holding it down in place will make sure that it not give way.... This was never intended to serve as a crash barrier.... bikers die when they hit lamp posts, trees etc...guess this lovely invention will help as another killer!!
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