It was announced last August that the Santa Venera and Birkirkara local councils had finally agreed on the name of the replica of the Fleur-de-Lys arch that will be built on the roundabout near the Bank of Valletta main office.
Nothing was heard since, at least publicly. What is certain is that the site continues to be an eyesore in a very central location.
Onboard entertainment
Passengers on the Valletta-Attard route bus on Thursday at about 4pm were offered onboard entertainment courtesy of Malta Public Transport Services Ltd.
The driver put up a one-man show all the way, shouting at people and at one point even threatening to stop the trip. The day before, the driver doing the same run stopped for a while near a public convenience in Attard to answer a call of nature as passengers waited patiently.
And on Friday another made a stop to buy things from a pet shop.
Bad example
Haphazard parking, even on double yellow lines and wherever, has now become the norm at Castille Place, in Valletta, right under the Prime Minister’s nose.
Evidently, it does not bother anybody, not even the local council. But, now, the driver of a big white car, displaying a notice reading “Malta Tourism Authority” on the dashboard, is making it a habit parking partly on the tarmac at Castille and partly on the paving at De Valette Square, on the side of Our Lady of Victory church. MTA should lead by example.
A step too far
Much has been said and written about the Arriva bus service.
However, regular elderly commuters say the drivers at the time used to show them a bit more respect.
They used to lower the step to make boarding easier. However, of late, more are told that the steps are no longer working.
Pavement is a mess
The pavement next to the old entrance of the University of Malta is, simply put, a mess. Not only is the ground cracked, broken and full of dangerous holes but it is covered with lumps of cement, which might have been put there in an attempt to level it or just as an afterthought.
To make matters worse, water pipes protrude onto the street and electricity poles make it impossible for anyone to walk on it, let alone if the person is on a wheelchair or with a pushchair.
Broken promises
This is a photo taken a few days ago outside Wembley Stores, in Valletta. It is the usual unsightly sight every evening in the capital.
The picture was taken on a Friday evening when the place waspacked with people, especially at this time of year, when they start their Christmas shopping.
This city, it bears pointing out, will be European Capital of Culture in a few years’ time.
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