Many have taken the planned reform of the local enforcement system, or, more precisely, of the ridiculous way many of the local wardens have been carrying out their mission in life of irritating people, with a pinch of salt. Others have laughed it off, calling it a joke. They are not to blame for their cynicism, because, besides income tax and, now, the utility rates, local wardens and their respective local councils have done their very best to irk people, especially car drivers.

What is particularly intriguing is that the government has taken so long to put flesh on the bones of a reform, which they have, off and on, talked about for years on end. And Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said, who is proving so energetic in all that he does (no cynicism is meant here as he does in fact go about his work in a manner that is drawing admiration), did not say a word (at least he was not reported to) about the years it has taken the government to come round to see what must rank as one of the people's greatest sores.

The point about this should not be taken lightly as all Malta knew the extent to which so many wardens have harassed drivers. For all the inconvenience they have caused over the years, the government should apologise for its wanton lack of sensitivity towards motorists. Did the government expect that the system would reform itself automatically under the pressure of the people's disgust?

It has now been said that greater emphasis will be placed on driver education but was not this the aim of introducing the wardens in the first place? Instead, the system was turned into a money-making operation, raking in, according to information given at the launching of the reform, no less than €9.5 million worth of fines, more than double, it was said, the cost of running the system. This left some €3 million profit for the councils.

Now, suddenly, the politicians seem to have realised the extent of the nuisance the system has brought about and have devised, or are devising, arrangements under which the in-come raised from the funds will no longer go straight into the councils' coffers but put in a centralised fund administered by five regional committees to be set up next month.

Back to the drawing board, the parliamentary secretary has now outlined the system's proper role, the one the wardens should have followed. "The focus should be on education to remove the need for fines. This is not about making money but ensuring that people observe the laws and that we have better and safer communities."

If, as he said, a number of local councils had failed to understand how the system should be operated and in-stead used it as a way to make money, why did the government not take action in time and stop the crusade into which it developed in the 10 years it has been in force? Making profit, he explained, was not the aim of the system. The government should not have allowed the councils to debase the system.

Having said all this, Malta badly needs to enforce discipline on the road. No mercy ought to be shown to drivers clearly bent on breaking the rules but, in most cases, wardens were making a mockery of the system. Hopefully now, matters will change. Time will tell whether the reform produces the results expected.