As a result of the dire parking situation, the Traffic Control Board way back in the late 1990s persuaded councils that they should investigate those garages that bore any sign stopping people from parking to establish whether the 'garages' were for cars or other uses. A few councils carried out the necessary inspections.
At the time of writing, a garage in residential/urban Naxxar has exploded bringing down three (later four) houses.
One person died immediately, three were rushed to hospital and three hours after the explosions, the rescue squads are beginning to look for missing people.
If people knew what went on behind closed garage doors, and only mechanical vehicles, surplus furniture and domestic goodies were to be found in unlicensed garages, there would be little likelihood of devastating explosions taking place in residential areas.
Pot holes once more
Strictly speaking, the hole my front wheel went into, a hole that ripped the tyre, damaged the rim and knocked the 'toe' in out of kilter as well, is not a 'pot hole' at all. It lies at the foot of San Pawl tat-Tarġa hill. It's square in shape, and in the middle sits a manhole cover. Overall the infill is missing for about 14cms, except for the side nearest the pavement, where the infill is missing to such a depth that a motorcyclist with a narrow front tyre may well be unseated and killed, and other motorists have probably suffered the same fate I did.
It sits in Naxxar council territory, and I filed a report and photographs with the council, which was immediately sent on to the ADT, as they are still responsible for the road. One week later, as I write this, absolutely nothing has been done to fill in the surrounds to the manhole cover, and I assume no one has been hospitalised or killed yet.
What speed, and what gear to use
I've been asked to discuss movement through Psaila Street and St Joseph's High Road, Ħamrun, vis-a-vis learner drivers failing their driving test as a result of driving these roads in third, rather than fourth gear. Technically, these roads carry a 50km/h speed limit, but when working as an examiner I required the students to use no more than 40km/h if the roads were clear, and at that speed I would expect them to be in third gear, as that gear provides a degree of acceleration when required, as well as decent 'engine braking'.
In the cars used for test purposes, 100km/h could be reached in third if required, so at 40km/h the vehicle was environment friendly and far more satisfactory to drive than it would be in fourth gear.
Truthfully I never managed to find either of these roads empty enough to warrant 50km/h, and, even at that speed, for the few metres that would be so travelled, I never failed a driver for remaining intelligently in third gear, and it comes as a surprise to find that any of the current examiners would be so pedantic in their approach to fourth gear at slow speeds.
Intelligent use of traffic/pelican lights
Unless lower speed limits are in force, traffic lights should not be approached at more than 50km/h. Unfortunately, few people understand this and not all of our lights are mounted with speed limit signs in the vicinity.
One hopes that all new drivers have been taught this important fact before they attempt their driving test. They will all glibly tell the examiner that if the lights are green they can only go to amber and then red, and if a pelican light is being approached and people are in the vicinity the probability is that a change is imminent, and most drivers under test 'ease' off so the examiner feels the decrease in speed.
However, students may fail for not stopping when the lights go amber. Instructors have complained to me that this is often unfair as the student has approached the lights at reasonable speed and they have gone amber before the 'stop' line has been reached. The Highway Code is totally ambiguous when it says that 'Amber means stop, at the stop line. You may go on if the amber appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up may cause an accident'.
When I started driving in 1954, there was a warning line 25 metres before the lights with another line immediately below them. The warning line has long since vanished. A silly fact, but nevertheless true.
Factually, if you are driving at 50km/h and the lights do change, it takes, according to our Highway Code, 23 metres to stop. Examiners please take note.
At the time of writing, a garage in residential/urban Naxxar has exploded bringing down three (later four) houses.
One person died immediately, three were rushed to hospital and three hours after the explosions, the rescue squads are beginning to look for missing people.
If people knew what went on behind closed garage doors, and only mechanical vehicles, surplus furniture and domestic goodies were to be found in unlicensed garages, there would be little likelihood of devastating explosions taking place in residential areas.
Pot holes once more
Strictly speaking, the hole my front wheel went into, a hole that ripped the tyre, damaged the rim and knocked the 'toe' in out of kilter as well, is not a 'pot hole' at all. It lies at the foot of San Pawl tat-Tarġa hill. It's square in shape, and in the middle sits a manhole cover. Overall the infill is missing for about 14cms, except for the side nearest the pavement, where the infill is missing to such a depth that a motorcyclist with a narrow front tyre may well be unseated and killed, and other motorists have probably suffered the same fate I did.
It sits in Naxxar council territory, and I filed a report and photographs with the council, which was immediately sent on to the ADT, as they are still responsible for the road. One week later, as I write this, absolutely nothing has been done to fill in the surrounds to the manhole cover, and I assume no one has been hospitalised or killed yet.
What speed, and what gear to use
I've been asked to discuss movement through Psaila Street and St Joseph's High Road, Ħamrun, vis-a-vis learner drivers failing their driving test as a result of driving these roads in third, rather than fourth gear. Technically, these roads carry a 50km/h speed limit, but when working as an examiner I required the students to use no more than 40km/h if the roads were clear, and at that speed I would expect them to be in third gear, as that gear provides a degree of acceleration when required, as well as decent 'engine braking'.
In the cars used for test purposes, 100km/h could be reached in third if required, so at 40km/h the vehicle was environment friendly and far more satisfactory to drive than it would be in fourth gear.
Truthfully I never managed to find either of these roads empty enough to warrant 50km/h, and, even at that speed, for the few metres that would be so travelled, I never failed a driver for remaining intelligently in third gear, and it comes as a surprise to find that any of the current examiners would be so pedantic in their approach to fourth gear at slow speeds.
Intelligent use of traffic/pelican lights
Unless lower speed limits are in force, traffic lights should not be approached at more than 50km/h. Unfortunately, few people understand this and not all of our lights are mounted with speed limit signs in the vicinity.
One hopes that all new drivers have been taught this important fact before they attempt their driving test. They will all glibly tell the examiner that if the lights are green they can only go to amber and then red, and if a pelican light is being approached and people are in the vicinity the probability is that a change is imminent, and most drivers under test 'ease' off so the examiner feels the decrease in speed.
However, students may fail for not stopping when the lights go amber. Instructors have complained to me that this is often unfair as the student has approached the lights at reasonable speed and they have gone amber before the 'stop' line has been reached. The Highway Code is totally ambiguous when it says that 'Amber means stop, at the stop line. You may go on if the amber appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up may cause an accident'.
When I started driving in 1954, there was a warning line 25 metres before the lights with another line immediately below them. The warning line has long since vanished. A silly fact, but nevertheless true.
Factually, if you are driving at 50km/h and the lights do change, it takes, according to our Highway Code, 23 metres to stop. Examiners please take note.