The heart cannot function properly unless its main artery does. In practically the same sense, Mġarr Road is the main artery to the rest of Gozo.
One stretch of it, however, is prone to blocking: it is a hotspot for traffic accidents.
The road starts from Mġarr Harbour, snakes through Għajnsielem and Xewkija and ends as one arrives at the roundabout leading into Victoria.
A section of it is the only road on the island that has two lanes on each side of the carriageway, which tends to give drivers a sense of freedom, clear of any obstacle.
Most accidents occur as the road reaches Għajnsielem.
In a little under nine years (from 2008 to 2017) 86 accidents were reported on the road, with three lives lost. The figures exclude hit-and-runs and accidents that went unreported.
A crash on Sunday, February 4, 2018, left local residents shaking at the break of dawn. At around 5.30am, two cars collided, with one of the vehicles smashing into parked cars.
The impact was so powerful that it left three cars write-offs and caused structural damage to a house’s facade.
Local resident Alex Spiteri, one owner of a parked car that had to be scrapped, recalls that horrific morning: “Going by the loud bang that reverberated around us, I honestly thought that an airplane had crashed in my garage.”
Because of the speeding that goes on in Mġarr Road, this is something he expects to happen every so often. “The situation is dire, while the authorities seem to be sleeping on this problem.”
On that same chilly morning, another resident, Agnes Grech, was on her daily route to church to attend 6 o’clock Mass. On her way back, she couldn’t make out what the mayhem in front of her house was about.
Recalling that frozen moment, she said: “I didn’t know what to say or feel. What can you say when you see the front of your house badly damaged due to a car accident first thing in the morning?”
You cannot even think of using the zebra crossing, because it’s a terribly frightening experience
Many drivers, it appears, imagine they’re driving on a racetrack, not passing through a residential area. “You cannot even think of using the zebra crossing, because it’s a terribly frightening experience,” she said.
A third resident, Paul Stellini, recalled what happened to his property on two December days eight years ago. “In one month, on two separate occasions, two cars crashed into my front door. Can you imagine what it feels like to open your door and see a smashed car mangled on your doorstep?”
In spite of the passage of time and the record of accidents, no lessons seem to have been learnt, he feels. “Mġarr Road has become Gozo’s very own racetrack,” he said, underscoring the fact that people waiting for the bus could be sitting ducks.
These residents, as well as others who preferred not to disclose their names, expressed their disappointment that no action has been taken to curb the abuse.
Most suggest that speed cameras be installed in various parts of the road. If installed, such cameras would be a first for Gozo.
Residents have even called on the authorities to have officers patrolling this stretch. To the knowledge of most residents, however, legal enforcers are as rare as snow in summer.
Franco Ciangura, the Għajnsielem mayor, said the age-old problems of Mġarr Road are beyond the council’s competence. However, if the council were asked for its input, it would have several proposals to make. “The way forward is a holistic plan, with every traffic-calming measure taken into account,” the mayor said.
On speed cameras, he said cameras could be a part but not a full solution. Traffic management is the only key to ensuring road safety, he believes. Management ought to include more road signs particularly in residential areas, traffic lights at every zebra crossing and strong law enforcement.
Mr Ciangura raised the alarm over the possibility that the alternative route from Mġarr Harbour, St Anthony Street, will be renovated. The same problems in Mġarr Road could be repeated there unless that street is professionally done, he cautioned.
A source close to Gozo’s police force said that the police did not have the equipment and tools necessary to control and book drivers for speeding: “How can one keep an eye on what’s going on in the roads when the force only has four traffic motorcycles?” the source asked in frustration.
The result of the accumulated problems is leading to exasperation among local residents. The general feeling is that with more cars being introduced into the bits of breathable space that are left, an overall traffic plan is needed now more than ever.
If Gozo is on the road to further economic progress, for heaven’s sake, let’s start with the basics.