Nationalist MP Antoine Borg caught the eye of a policeman on duty on October 2 and was fined for using his mobile phone. Borg, like thousands of Maltese, was stuck in a traffic jam with the engine of his car switched off.

If this same policeman had been in Mosta on that same day he would have witnessed a never-ending trail of vehicles, all with their engines switched off, with drivers hoping against hope the traffic would move on to reach their destination – hospital, work, school and so on.

Most of the drivers could be seen talking or sending messages on their mobile phone. They had to do something to while away the time or better still to inform the other end of the terrible situation they were stuck in.

Driving and talking on the phone, or, worse still, sending messages while driving, don’t go together. It is a crime and should not be tolerated. Not because of the fine imposed if caught but because it is dangerous.

However, to be fined while stuck in a traffic jam, with the vehicle engine switched off, is truly beyond comprehension.

Hopefully, Borg will be cleared of this non-existent crime not because of the technical error made by the policeman by putting down September instead of October but because there was no crime at all.

Besides, the policeman in question should be warned to do his duty well and not waste taxpayers’ money. Let us not become ridiculous in our eagerness to dish out fines. The law has to be applied in an honest way.

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