Editorial: Carrying out road works during the night-time

Motorists usually have to endure much hardship because of badly timed and planned road works, often carried out at peak traffic times. In many cases this reduces traffic to a standstill and increases road rage by a notch or two.

However, things seem to be changing. I never thought I would ever witness the day when my customary bumpy, rough, uneven drive home at sunset would turn into a smooth, velvety and even drive as the sun rises the following day. Hadn’t I known better I would have thought that Transport Malta chief officer Konrad Pulè had engaged his father with his magic wand.

It seems Transport Malta has put its act together and is using the traffic-free night-time to carry out the much needed repairs, patching works and relaying of asphalt in many of our main roads.

And not only that; I think the speed with which the works are being carried out is also record- breaking and really augurs well for future major projects planned for Malta in the coming years.

In the same way that I had lambasted Transport Malta for getting the timing completely wrong when it carried out the works on the Regional Road bridge, I now commend it and take my hat off for its efforts to carry out these works in a way that causes the least inconvenience possible to the motorists.

Could there be an election around the corner?

Speaking of elections, with both sides promising the moon (hopefully not its craters too), even with regard to air quality, a recent Eurobarometer survey on Malta’s air quality shows that 99 per cent of those surveyed blamed the country’s heavy traffic density as the key factor contributing towards air pollution and there is scientific evidence that our vehicle emissions are the major contributor to asthma and lung disease.

This is where Transport Malta can and must do more. We need to act, and fast.

Arriva will not be the solution. Please act today before another person falls victim.

I hope to see more initiatives in the much-awaited electoral manifestos on how to reduce the country’s CO2 emissions.

Finally, I appreciate the political parties’ conscious efforts in keeping their political campaign billboards on our roads totally unattractive and unappealing, thus causing fewer distractions and safer driving.

www.timesofmalta.com/sections/view/motoring