The fact that traffic lights are working well in Mdina Road at the Aqueduct Junction is cause for Transport Malta to be congratulated and encouraged to do far, far more.
Never drive too slowly if road conditions are good and the traffic stream wishes to go faster,and never drive faster than the law allows- Hugh Arnett
Perhaps the hazardous junction into and out of Mrieħel Industrial Estate from Mrieħel Bypass should at last (waiting since 2006) be made ‘Turn Left’ only.
In the same way, now that the timing of the nearby traffic lights has been seen to, is it not time that the junction of Kennedy Drive with the Coast Road be made ‘Turn Left’ only as well?
It may alleviate the dreadful traffic build-up where Naxxar traffic finds it hard to join the coast road opposite the salt pans.
We recently managed to check the accuracy of the Mini’s speedometer against the super flashing speed lights on the St Paul’s bypass.
Sadly, a couple of days later, we failed to get a proper reading with the X/19 Fiat as the lights were already in rebellious mood.
This was a great idea even if it was the precursor to people being booked a couple of hundred metres further on for disregarding any speed infringement.
Transport Malta also had to veto, quite correctly, the mayor of Mellieħa, who wanted to make part of the main shopping street one way downhill. We sympathise with him for venting this desire during a public meeting.
However, if offroad parking had been acceded to when suggested to the council in 1996, this chronic mess would never have been allowed to take over the council’s work.
When the bypass is reopened, private cars can bypass the town by turning left at the bottom of the hill, following across the boathouse road until they can climb through Santa Maria Estate to miss the worst of the town.
Mellieħa has a large retired population and in summer thousands of Maltese rent out accommodation. Many people do not have the physical strength to climb up the steep hill that encompasses the main shopping street, purchases in hand. Sad but true.
The answer, unpalatable as it is, must be to reconsider the maximum size of both delivery trucks and public transport vehicles that perforce use Mellieħa’s principle shopping street.
This is most certainly not a town for giant bendy buses, or even the larger Chinese imports.
Learner drivers
Am I the only driver being constantly held back on all the major single-lane roads I use by slow moving learner drivers?
Without being unduly selfish and speaking from experience, as my last six months within the ADT were spent as a volunteer driving examiner, I would suggest that major roads are totally out of bounds to inexperienced learner drivers unless the driving instructors are prepared to teach their students how to handle the car to maintain their place within the traffic stream without causing everyone else to slow down.
The two-second-distance rule is vital, the use of fifth or sixth gear is vital, and the students’ ability to drive safely within the parameters of our speed-restricted roads is vital.
Never drive too slowly if road conditions are good and the traffic stream wishes to go faster, and most certainly never drive faster than the law allows.
Instructors must remember that within days of passing the driving exam novice drivers may be on European roads at speeds never contemplated locally. For an instructor, teaching should mean how to drive cars for life and not simply to pass the practical driving test.
Protective barriers
I was recenlty asked by friends to use the Naxxar/ San Ġwann road at night and to note the state of the protective barriers and kerbs.
Frankly, as the mud-coloured barriers and kerbs were the same colour as the road in the old Mini’s headlamps, at times when being dazzled we could see neither.
The regulations state that protective barriers should be painted in black and white diagonals and should have reflectors mounted on them.
It would also be a good idea to paint the kerbs white and keep them and the barriers reasonably clean.