(Adds ministry's reaction)

Transport Malta’s reasoning behind not wanting to construct a footbridge over a dangerous road in Qormi was unacceptable and irrational, the Labour Party said.

Infrastructure spokesman Charles Buhagiar said that Transport Malta’s reaction to the Qormi council’s request for a footbridge, promised years ago and for which there was a planning permit, that only an average of 42 people a week crossed this road, was unacceptable and irrational.

Mr Buhagiar said that in the past year, three people were killed while crossing this road.

The government had also voted against a motion moved by the PL in Parliament for security measures in Anton Buttigieg Street in Zejtun.

Several incidents had taken place in this road, where a whole family died a year ago.

INFRASTRUCTURE MINISTRY’S REACTION

But the Ministry for Infrastructure said it was Mr Buhagiar’s reaction that was irrational.

It said Mr Buhagiar knew that whoever spent public fund had the duty to do this in a way that was proportionate to the problem being solved.

A footbridge was not the only way of how people could cross the road and justification had to be calculated according to the expense required and the lack of other less costly practical alterantives.

On the Zejtun road, the ministry said that Transport Malta had implemented all the necessary security measures.

These measures had removed the immediate dangers and they were carried out by TM even though the road was the Zejtun council’s responsibility.