Reference is made to recent comments in some sections of the media on the installation of the pedestrian guard rails along the Mrieħel Bypass.
The issue of pedestrian safety for the 40-family community residing along the Ta’ Fuq il-Blat eastern side of the bypass has been the subject of many debates.
Constructed in the early 1990s, the bypass was planned to provide a vehicular link for Marsa to the Tal-Qroqq and Attard areas, relieving, in the process, the heavily-congested urban areas of Sta Venera, Msida, Qormi and Fleur-de-Lys. Today, no fewer than 42,000 vehicles commute along the bypass daily.
A pedestrian count survey carried out by Transport Malta revealed that an average of 12 pedestrians traverse the bypass daily. The crossing of the bypass by these pedestrians is a result of their reluctance or sheer laziness to avail themselves of safer crossing facilities at the Mill Street roundabout junction, where main road traffic is grade-separated and where it is perceived to be safe to cross due to low speed, short crossing distances and relatively low volumes of traffic.
Despite the existence of safe crossing facilities located at a distance of 300m from the Fuq tal-Blat residential area, Transport Malta looked into various other specific crossing assistance options, which included the introduction of a pedestrian crossing with a refuge, the introduction of a zebra crossing, the introduction of a pelican crossing, the introduction of a pedestrian phase at traffic signals junction, the installation of the pedestrian guard rails diverting crossing to an alternative location, the construction of a pedestrian footbridge and the construction of a pedestrian underpass.
All of the options except for the one involving the installation of the pedestrian guard rails were deemed not feasible due to wide-ranging reasons including technical compliance, economic and anti-social.
The safety fences that have been installed along part of the Mrieħel Bypass provide an inhibitory barrier, preventing pedestrians from crossing the road at an inappropriate place or from straying into the road inadvertently.
At locations where it is difficult or unsafe to provide at-grade pedestrian crossing facilities and where the introduction of grade-separated crossing facilities may not be economically justifiable in terms of pedestrian volumes (as the case with the Mrieħel Bypass), pedestrian guard rails or anti-pedestrian fences are installed.
In some countries, the pedestrian guard rails are installed on the central reservations of many dual carriageway roads where there is a dangerous conflict between vehicles and pedestrians who may try to cross the road randomly at uncontrolled locations.
Transport Malta has sought to install barriers that also make it difficult for the irresponsible to jump or climb over. These pedestrian guard rails are being installed in conjunction with two other important road safety measures along this stretch of road: a) vehicle crash barriers to prevent vehicles crossing over from one carriageway to another; b) prohibition of the vehicle right turn out of the industrial estate junction, thus preventing vehicles crossing the dual carriageway, which has become increasingly dangerous over the years given the volumes and speed of traffic on the main road.
The pedestrian guard rails will be accompanied by appropriate road traffic signage that will legally prohibit pedestrians from crossing this dangerous section of road.
Contrary to what has been reported in the media, Transport Malta is not trying to “ostracise” or “cage in” the Fuq tal-Blat community but is ensuring the safety of pedestrians by channelling them to a safe crossing area.
Pedestrians (as well as motorists) have responsibilities for the proper use of the road. They may be liable for the consequences to themselves or to others through their failure to observe the law.
This is indicated in part II of the Highway Code. As indicated clearly in the same code, pedestrians are reminded that the carriageway is, first and foremost, meant for the circulation of vehicles.