Drivers hit with fines of €6.7m

G G Debono

Sep 9th 2012, 16:19

To --- C Cassar ……….(Yesterday, 18:25)

Just in case you see this…

RE your comment “Why should (these speed traps) be removed? If you're within the speed limit as you should be, they're harmless. If you exceed the speed limit which is breaking the law, you get fined. Makes total sense and very simple to understand “

It is not a matter of “understanding” but that it’s plain daft. You miss the point – The speed limit is 80km/h on such a road – above 60 km/h is therefore possible.

But here we have the money making paradox of slowing people down where it is not needed. In other words it is not a matter of safety – but a means of making cash.

I have nothing against speed limits where they are needed, in fact I am in favour of a 30 km/h urban limit (it is too high at 50 km/h !).

Victor Pulis

Sep 9th 2012, 08:54

If drivers using mobile phones while driving had been fined as well the ammount would have doubled!

Joseph Fenech

Sep 8th 2012, 21:17

Is-sewqan go Malta,traskuragni,dardir u kulhadd irid jiehu r-ragun.Pero hemm bzonn aktar infurzar tal-ligi--sewqan bil-mobajl,inkluz xufiera tal-linja..!!!

Michael Seychell

Sep 8th 2012, 20:43

It would be interesting to know how much of these millions are going in the Maltese coffers, because I have a funny feeling that the great bulk of the monies are making the companies - or rather the shareholders of the companies who employ the wardens - whilst most of theses are being paid precariouis wages.

Michael Seychell Tal-Pieta

Simon Hansford

Sep 8th 2012, 20:22

Our law enforcement continue to fine the public for what is mostly petty fines yet continue to deny the fact that they DO NOT regard the safety of our children as a No1 Priority, where the an overwhelming majority of parents and carers in Malta continue to drive their vehicles with their kids NOT secured in either car seats or seat belts, and therefore jeopardising and endangering their Kids lives.

Nobody seems to Stand up and represent our kids safety and take action. They are the innocent ones here, yet WE the adults who are supposed to have their safety and care as our No 1 priority, Fail to protect them from careless adults who continue breaking the law at will.

Are our kid's futures and safety Not of importance by our law enforcements ?

Mr C Camilleri

Sep 8th 2012, 19:49

The only problem in these statistics is one :

I know for a fact and have witnessed the fact that police and wardens fine only those drivers who cannot defend themselves. I am not saying that these drivers were innocent but I am saying that when it comes to important or dangerous people I have witnessed police and wardens not approaching the site where people have reported cars blocking streets. Sometimes there were up to 6 cars in a queue waiting for a car to be moved by the driver while police did not appear up till 30 minutes later !

So spare me statistics. These fines are coming out of the pockets of people that mostly, by mistake, drove by a bit faster through a speed TRAP camera or some other minor offence.

Robert Mizzi

Sep 8th 2012, 19:48

If instead of just (or mostly) parking tickets, drivers in Malta started getting fined for: not using indicators, not using seat belts, driving and answering mobile phones, double (and triple) lane parking, drinking and driving, not stopping at stop signs, not giving right of way at roundabouts, etc. etc. our national debt would be reduced drastically, Moody’s will upgrade us and our economic woes will just be a distant memory. If, on the other hand, our drivers get smart (which I doubt), the jungle out there will be tamed...potholes apart of course!! It’s a win-win situation I think, oh wait, there are politics!!!!

Matt Brincat

Sep 8th 2012, 19:11

I have always wondered one thing. We get booked for over-speeding - fair enough. but no one gets booked for under speeding which is as dangerous as the first

Joe Mallia

Sep 8th 2012, 18:46

One of the most frequent and dangerous driving contraventions is the use of mobile phone. Police and traffic wardens are practically numb to this contravention although the number of drivers using mobile phone is increasing by the day. It is time for the authorities to realize that this abuse easily leads to fatal road accidents.

Mr Luke Vella

Sep 8th 2012, 18:25

Dil-gimgha gie warden wara l-bieb tad-dar tieghi u qalli li se jaghtini citazzjoni ghax kont ipparkjat fuq id-drive in tal-garaxxtieghi u li skond hu kont qieghed nostakolha l-bankina bi 30 centimetru. Jien wegibtu lura u ghidtlu allura dawk il-kolonni tal-festa fuq il-bankini u li hadd ma jista jaghddi ittihom citazzjoni? u bil-kalma kollha wegibni li hu m'ghandux jaqsam fuq dawk. Allura dik hi l-ligi ta Malta li jaqbdu maz-zghir u mal-kwiet? u xi nghidu ghal-dawk id-dealers tal-karozzi li jipparkjaw u jikkaparaw roundabouts, bus stops u fuq yellow lines?

Mary Ann Borg

Sep 8th 2012, 17:56

And it should be realized that since Austin Gatt took charge of TM there has been absolutely no additional speed cameras. Speed cameras are a trap and at times outright dangerous. The ones located just as one comes out of a tunnel should be immediately removed and either placed elsewhere or sent for scrap.
All the new roads, like the one at the airport and the one from Rabat to Mosta etc have not been 'blessed' by speed cameras and how incidents have there been?

P. Attard

Sep 8th 2012, 17:03

I wonder if ANY fine was dished out ever by any warden or police for non use of indicators and drivers having their full arm hanging out of side windows, thus driving with one hand! I really would be grateful if someone from Transport Statistics could answer my question, please!

Mary Ann Borg

Sep 8th 2012, 16:41

And it should be realized that since Austin Gatt took charge of TM there has been absolutely no additional speed cameras. Speed cameras are a trap and at times outright dangerous. The ones located just as one comes out of a tunnel should be immediately removed and either placed elsewhere or sent for scrap.
All the new roads, like the one at the airport and the one from Rabat to Mosta etc have not been 'blessed' by speed cameras and how incidents have there been?

A.M. Galea

Sep 8th 2012, 16:41

Kellu bzonn il-Kunsill tal-Fgura jibgħat ftit warden ta' kull filgħodu fi triq Hompesch halli jara dak id-double parking li jkun hemm quddiem ħanut tat-te fejn qed jinħoloq periklu li jista jsir xi inċident serju . dan mhux l-unika post li qed isiru abbuzi , għax quddiem ħanut tal-gazzetti u quddiem confectionary li jinsabu vicin l-għassa tal-pulizija , qed ikun hemm double parking ukoll . Mhux aħjar jittieħdu passi qabel issir xi dizgrazzja .

Stephen Cutajar

Sep 8th 2012, 16:41

So motorists are being fined, fine (no pun intended), but who's getting fined for the bad condition of most roads that in some instances may be more dangerous than our bad driving behavior?

Joseph Brincat

Sep 8th 2012, 16:17

WARDENS & POLICE = 229357 FINES , IS A GOOD BUSINESS

Philip Mizzi

Sep 8th 2012, 15:52

Sfortunatament ic-citazjonijiet huma l-uniku mezz kif ma jithallix kullhadd jaghmel li jrid (nispera ma jigix xi cuc u jdahhal il-politka fin-nofs). Kieku ma jkunx hemm wardens u/jew pulizija kieku anke fuq il-bankina jew f'nofs it-triq jipparkjaw u nigu sew aktar milli ahna. Ma nahsibx li hekk irridu hux veru? Allura min ghandu ftit melh go rasu jkollu jaqbel li dan huwa dak li jissejjah 'a necessary evil;' jew bil-malti, 'm'hemmx x’tghamel'.

Li jdejjaqni jien huwa li tara xi wardens u anke pulizija kulltant jipparkjap hazin, anke fuq zebra crossing jew f'kantunieri, jew jghamlu xi kontravenzjonui ohra. Dan huwa il-hazin u nikkundannah.

Xi haga ohra negattiva hija li il-wardens u anke il-pulizija issibhom efficjenti biex jaghtu semplici parking ticket imma ghal affarijiet ohra huma dghajfin jew mhux kapaci. Per ezempju dawn in-nuqqasijiet: sewqa eccessiv anke fl-abitat; storbju eccessiv minn steroes fil-karrozzi; tfieh ta karti, hmieg jew materjal iehor fit-toroq; kacca illegali; sewqan waqt l-uzu tal-mobajl; vandalizmu; xorb ta’ alcohol minn minorenni; xorb ta’ alcohol barra; storbju u glied go Paceville; etc.

Ahjar milli ingergru kontra l-ordni fil-pajjiz nikkritikaw lil gvern tal-gurnata (ikun min ikun) biex jara li il-pulizija u il-wardens jinfurzaw il-ligijiet KOLLA li huma responsabli ghalihom, u mhux dawk biss (jew kwazi biss) ta' parking tickets u citazzjonijiet ohra 'easy', ghax parking ticket anke Boy Scout kapaci jteih kieku jkollu il-poter!!

Kevin Bonello

Sep 8th 2012, 15:47

Inzidu l cameras, inzidu l wardens, inzidu licenzji, innaqsu wisa ta toroq, innaqsu parkings, innaqsu speed limits.... are these roads? or some kind of jail?

Tony Gatt

Sep 8th 2012, 14:58

In Iklin wardens are mostly seen congregating around a certain fast food take-away outlet. As for law enforcement........well,let's just stop there.

vincent a galea

Sep 8th 2012, 14:34

May we know how many motorists were booked for not using their indicators?

Why is it that this very important item of one's driving not given any importance?!

carmel muscat

Sep 8th 2012, 14:30

jien inhoss li il wardens qedin jonqsu min dmirom ax kiku jamlu xollom sew jatu aktar citazjonijiet ax nixba nara drivers isuqu u jitkelmu fuq il mobile imbadt jahbtu u iwahlu fix xems li tilfu il kontrol veru tad dahk dawk il wardens li jatu citazjoni ax ikunu wara xi sigra jekk jezistu dawn qedin jamlu hazin hafna - -- - - - - - - - - -

Michael Owen

Sep 8th 2012, 13:57

With three fines in 2011, I was happy to be able to contribute to the economy.

Schembri Ray

Sep 8th 2012, 13:41

€3.3m+€2.2m+€1.1m=€6.6m

GL Calleja

Sep 8th 2012, 13:40

If gas and diesel are so expensive? If one cannot find a parking space anywhere on this blessed island? if wardens are having such an easy time handing out fines? If the government shored up millions to give us Arriva? If traffic is so bad and traffic jams are so common? If our roads are so poorly built? And so on and so forth? Why on earth would anyone in his right mind want to own a vehicle on this blessed island?

Charlie DeBattista

Sep 8th 2012, 13:26

If anyone has driven on the Maltese roads and observed the driving of buses, taxis, coaches and school transits one can easily tell who deserves a ticket. Not to mention the occasional Escort mk1 which panicks a whole road thinking the epocalypse is coming.

Instead wardens decide to slobber around the Maltese roads in search for their monthly commission, feeding off anything that they can manipulate into suiting their selfish greed because they dare not piss off the people who really deserve the fine. Instead they come to my house and stick a ticket on my car which to my knowledge was parked in a parking space hoping that I will not chose to take a day of leave and contest their stupidity.

What's worse is the petition board does nothing to stop this behaviour! So why blame them? Anyone would choose to fraud and manipulate others for money if they know they will easily get away with it. And that is why all these useless citations are given every year and misbehaviour in the Maltese roads still persists.

And I specify, STUPIDITY which led them to fine both me and my boyfriend who were parked in the same parking against the same pavement on the same day. When both fines were contested, only one was pardoned. An explanation was asked because it did not make sense that the same two tickets would be treated differently. The reply was that they are pardoning one so at least we won't have to pay as much money and they will half the amount with us. This is an obvious case that they are in it for the money when it is obvious that if one of the tickets did not deserve it why did the other?

Martin Saliba

Sep 8th 2012, 13:09

There is a warden in Floriana that issuse unwarrented tickets and he hides them underneath the wiper blade . he knows that once you relise it is to late. I know , he did it to me.

J. Tabone

Sep 8th 2012, 13:09

I wouldn't have a problem with this if the vast majority of these tickets weren't parking tickets. We still do not ticket for dangerous driving, drunk driving, excessively noisy cars and trucks / large vehicles which obstruct the flow of traffic because their payload is too big. Yet if you forget to adjust your cardboard clock... you'll get nailed!

S. Caruana

Sep 8th 2012, 13:06

L-ghar cittazjoni hija dik li tircivija d-dar minghajr m'hemm provi li l-kontravenzjoni wetaqta jew le,sempliciment ikollok warden jintefa wara hajt u jfajjar ic-cittazzjonijiet bl-ament, l-aqwa li jekk hemm xi forma ta kwota jilhaqa! Wasal iz-zmien li jekk ma jkunx hemm provi tal-att, jew ic-citazzjoni tkun ingusta, l-kumpanija tal-wardens trid taghmel tajjeb ghall-ispejjez li l-individwu jkun ghamel biex ikontesta l-kontravenzjoni.

Emmanuel Ebejer

Sep 8th 2012, 13:05

So these wardens are just traffic wardens, who stick a ticket on your windscreen then hide. Or even worse, they just send it to you by post! How's that for education!

Tony Gatt

Sep 8th 2012, 12:59

It is interesting to note that Eur3.3 million were collected by wardens. They were the busiest! I guess the private entities which control the warden system and the speed camera system must be feeling somewhat satisfied showing healthy balance sheets to their shareholders. Private-public partnership works quite well in Malta.

George Calleja

Sep 8th 2012, 12:57

If both wardens and police improve their duties the sum of money reaped would easily treble as dangerous and reckless driving is rampant!!! Serious accidents are happening regularly!!!

Henry J Bonett

Sep 8th 2012, 12:57

The overlying reason for issuing fines is to educate and thus create better driving conditions. E6.7m has been just revenue and has some rubbing hands at the prospect of more. Safer roads? More like bumping cars. Should we not be directing official presence on the roads towards getting the very regular serious offenders and charging them the earth. This way we would be having the best of both worlds. Control and fewer fatalities, and increased income.

Robert Zammit

Sep 8th 2012, 12:36

This not cool news

A. Muscat

Sep 8th 2012, 12:23

A.Muscat

HOW MANY WARDENS WERE BOOKED FOR WRONG PARKINGS.? ? ?

Mr Alfred Baldacchino

Sep 8th 2012, 12:14

I guess that is why the unemployment figure is so low. People employed as traffic wardens.

Mrs Joana Pura

Sep 8th 2012, 12:12

Too bad that can't be shown the fines taken by bus drivers- that are constantly talking on the phones- , garbage truck drivers, other lorry drivers and even wardens that are talking on the walkies-talkie while driving or on the mobiles while they should take care of the traffic. Not to mention the way that the wardens are sitting in the middle of the road, in blind bends, to catch you on the mobile and they "force" you to cross the continuous white line.
Still if 10 foreign policeman are coming to Malta for only 1 month...they make the national budget . In the presented sum are not included thousands of red traffic light beakers and...those that are having accidents and don't get fines because this is the system.

j brincat

Sep 8th 2012, 12:08

Should we jump for joy and celebrate?




(jb)

E. De Marco

Sep 8th 2012, 11:51

How can all the above be verified? Coaches going down wrong way in St George's Str, St. Paul's Bay (down towards HSBC) do this every single day. I don't think tickets are issued, otherwise they would stop breaking the law. Most probably they are permitted to do this 'short cut' to save up on petrol\diesel, thus lessening the bad impact on our precious environment. This is laudable.....Did someone out there mention: "Nobody is above the law!"
Finally, this goes to show how hard-headed the majority of Maltese people are, having been told again & again that Arriva transport is the best in Europe, yet people still persist in using their personal cars instead of the fastest, cheapest, dead-on-time, no tickets, no fines, non-accident prone, etc., etc.,.... public transport.

Steve Attard

Sep 8th 2012, 11:32

Of corse wardens dished out the fines mostly in St Paul’s Bay,(Bugibba). Most yellow lines and parking bay are not vissible at all.We complained many time but it seems that the paint is very expensive to buy...Or is it a warden's trap?

Wally Vella-Zarb

Sep 8th 2012, 11:20

It would be interesting to know how 'large' a slice of "about €6.7 million in traffic fines last year" went to the coffers of the nation and how 'small' a portion went into the pockets of the private company that runs the warden 'system'.

D. A . Agius

Sep 8th 2012, 10:43

"most offences were carried out on Notary Zarb Road in Attard, Dun Karm Street in Birkirkara and the Regional Road in St Julian’s."

Exactly where traffic speed limits have been lowered from the national limit, save for the attard camera which has been placed conveniently around the bend. Has anyone really taken up TM on to explain how come wherever these speed cameras were installed traffic limits signs were introduced (none there before) and these were for lower amounts? Save for the Mriehel bypass and Hal Far cameras, all the other are in an area where "magically", the limit needed to be reduced by 10 or 20km/h.

In St. Paul's bay bypass the camera however was never installed though the intended location was smack on being a speed trap, just when the street starts going downhill, more than 1km to the roundabout, where speed really killed more than a couple of people in spectacular crashes like

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20091213/local/two-women-die-in-separate-accidents.285746

Mr Alfred Grima

Sep 8th 2012, 10:16

So, after reading this statistic, the million dollar question is; What is the government doing to create more parking spaces in Malta?

Here in St Paul's Bay, it is a nightmare to find a parking slot somewhere. Residents are being fined not because they are acting irresponsible, but because there is no other option.This situation is coming unbearable.

paul camilleri

Sep 8th 2012, 09:41

This goes to show that fines is not enough for motorists, what is needed is refresher course on driving
this could be set up with the random calling of licence numbersevery 3 to 5 years to turn up on a certain day where an oral test be given. this test should also included knowledge and use of hand signals as well as other forgotton rules on driving.