Nearly 35,000 fewer fines have been issued by wardens so far this year compared to the same period in 2015, as the government urges wardens to prioritise education over penalisation.
The Local Enforcement System Agency, responsible for overseeing local wardens, told the Times of Malta that since its inception last October, it had been stressing a move towards educating motorists and citizens on the law.
According to figures provided by the agency, 34,428 fewer fines were issued between January and last month compared to the same period last year.
The agency was contacted by this newspaper following complaints that wardens were issuing “too many fines”, with motorists complaining that wardens were “trying their best to catch drivers in the act”.
The agency has pushed for wardens to focus more on assisting and educating, rather than just penalising and imposing.This does not mean they should allow a free-for-all
The agency said that last month alone, just shy of 8,000 fewer fines were issued by wardens compared to July 2015.
Meanwhile, social media pages dedicated to traffic and motoring issues have been dominated by debates over local wardens and the issuing of fines.
“It’s become ridiculous: wardens are so eager to give you a ticket, sometimes you can’t reason with them.
“I swear they’re trying their best to catch drivers in the act,” motorist James Vella, who heads a motorsports enthusiasts club, wrote on Facebook this week.
A spokeswoman for the Justice Ministry, which is responsible for the agency, said, however, that ever since the agency, headed by former acting police commissioner Ray Zammit, was set up last October, it had pushed for wardens “to focus more on assisting and educating, rather than just penalising and imposing”.
“This, however, does not mean that wardens should allow a free-for-all situation.
“When irresponsible actions lead to potential risks and dangers, local enforcement should and will be effective,” the ministry spokeswoman said.
The trend towards educating before penalising, however, appears to be a recent one. Back in June, this newspaper reported how fines had increased a whopping 68 per cent between 2012 and the beginning of this year.
Prior to the establishment of the new agency, an average of 629 fines were being given every day. This has since dipped by around six per cent.
Of the 146,156 tickets issued by the agency from last October to May 11, 961 were handed out in Valletta, followed by Sliema with 9,775, Qormi at 7,773, St Julian’s at 6,998 and St Paul’s Bay at 6,924.
The issuing of fines was cast into the national spotlight last week after complaints emerged that wardens had been heavy-handed during the Santa Marija long weekend in Gozo.
The Gozo Tourism Association and Business Chamber both hit out at the way fines were issued, particularly in the capital of Victoria, saying wardens were putting a damper on “the busiest day for tourism” on the sister island.
In a joint statement, the two organisations said that they were “all out” for law and order and supported the decisions taken in this regard. However, they said, wardens should keep limited infrastructure and “common sense” in mind.
It turned out, however, that just 67 traffic tickets were issued across Gozo on Saturday, while 103 traffic tickets were issued on Sunday despite an increase of 70,000 people and 20,000 vehicles on the sister island over the public holiday.