• Controversy had reigned over town names that were appearing only in Maltese on road and traffic signs. It seems as though common sense has prevailed as this sign in Tal-Barrani has shown.

Rubbish dump

• Large waste items, including a cot, have been dumped in front of Block C, Binja Kordin, Pjazza Sant’Antnin, Paola. Who will make sure that this rubbish is removed as soon as possible?

Arriva’s new modus operandi

• On a bus journey with many empty seats, from Mater Dei to Valletta, a man stood at the front, near the door and next to the driver, talking to the driver the whole journey. Is this Arriva’s modus operandi: to distract the driver while he is driving? In the UK it isn’t!

News flashes

• The eight o’clock news is billed as TVM’s main news bulletin. But, considering its content lately, can it really be described as such? Hardly. It has far more feature content than actual news. One or two well-produced features will go down well, provided they are not too long, repetitive and boring. If the 8pm news is being turned into an electronic version of a feature magazine then PBS should say so.

Wrong timing

• Do Transport Malta officials and contractors not have children sitting for their end of year exams? Why are roadworks, with all the noise and cacophony they bring with them, allowed to take place in the immediate vicinity of schools, thus diverting students’ concentration? Common sense should always prevail as happened last week when a contractor stopped road works in the vicinity of Sacred Heart School, St Julian’s.

Fishy matters

• Open air markets are known to cause a series of hardships for residents in the immediate area, which then tends to snowball and spill out onto neighbouring streets. However, residents in Birkirkara have complained that a fishmonger setting up stall in Triq is-Santwarju is taking things too far. He discards fish remnants and fluids into a nearby culvert, creating a terrible, lingering stench. The local council should send wardens to monitor the stall owners regularly.

Dust galore

• Work on the site of the former Forum Hotel in Tal-Ibraġ is in full swing. However the contractor seems to be cutting corners. No protection has been put up to limit the amount of dust emanating from the site. Windy days tend to make the situation much worse. Wardens in the vicinity are always on the lookout for the erring driver but tend to turn a blind eye to these shortcomings.

Water leak

• Water in Triq ir-Russett, Kappara, went down the drain, literally, for at least three days. A leak that developed and was reported to Water Services Corporation was still unattended to on Friday.

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