At least four out of every five drivers on the Siġġiewi bypass break the speed limit, according to a study commissioned by the town’s local council.
Siġġiewi mayor Karol Aquilina told the Times of Malta that a study by traffic consultant Bjorn Bonello had found that 85 per cent of drivers were driving dangerously and in excess of the speed limit along Mons. Mikiel Azzopardi Road.
For the study, Mr Bonello drove behind unaware motorists and clocked the speed at which they were travelling, at different times and on different days of the week, with the vast majority of cars found to have been exceeding the limit.
Dr Aquilina said the results highlighted the need for speed cameras to be installed along the road to curb dangerous driving.
He said accidents were common along the road and the outcome of excessive speeds and irresponsible driving were often plain to see from the damage caused to vehicles and private homes.
Motorcyclists drive up and down at crazy speeds before sunrise
The research, he said, had been sent to the Local Enforcement System Agency, responsible for wardens and speed cameras which in turn passed them to Transport Malta.
“The council has been insisting on the need for speed cameras to discourage dangerous driving along this road for years; now enough is enough,” Dr Aquilina said.
Yesterday the Times of Malta reported that speed cameras were not enough to stop drivers using the St Paul’s Bay bypass as a “race track”.
Government transport sources explained that speed cameras were set up in the middle of the bypass – giving motorists a long stretch over which to speed up – before slowing down to avoid tickets.
St Paul’s Bay residents have complained with this newspaper of motorists, particularly motorcyclists, using the bypass to reach high speeds and even race one another in the early hours of the morning.
“It’s ridiculous. Every couple of days we are being subjected to the road being used by hordes of motorcyclists who drive up and down at crazy speeds before sunrise,” resident Tony Attard, 54, said.