I am proud to be a Maltese citizen in this small island but my heart aches when I see the way certain matters are handled.

I am referring to the recent plastering carried out on the top part of the stairs of Old College Bridge.

Last week three men were sent to plaster the top part of the stairs, a total area of one square metre. Did it need three men?

I wish to ask the Sliema council some questions.

How much did the council pay the contractor to plaster this very small area?

Is there a new product on the market which our nearby renowned hardware shop does not know about? The finished product looks so fragile!

Has anyone inspected the job before the contactor was paid for the work?

It should be pointed out that only one side was plastered. Could it be that the other side is the responsibility of St Julians’ council? What a farce and what a waste of public funds! Shame on Sliema council.

I understand it is no joke to repair an old bridge like this, which we residents treasure so much, but there are ways and means how we can prevent more deterioration. I would humbly suggest replacing the side walls as an urgent must; installing better signage to prevent heavy vehicles from using the bridge and hav-ing a warden on duty for perhaps a whole month to enforce this rule.

And what about the “bring-in site” under the bridge, with the new camera installed? It doesn’t seem to be an effective deterrent, as rubbish is still dumped around the bins. Has anyone been reprimanded?

I think it’s time for Sliema council, or should I say the remnants of this council, to wake up to their responsibilities.