Malta's roads are expected to have another two speed cameras installed soon - one on the recently constructed St Paul's Bay bypass, considered a fast road, and another one on the Coast Road - following the eight currently being installed along some of the island's main arteries.
On the bypass, signs indicating the presence of a speed camera are already in place although they are still covered with black plastic bags. It could not be established yesterday what the speed limit there or on the Coast Road is going to be.
A limit of just 60 kilometres per hour is imposed at the other eight new ones, situated on the Birkirkara bypass, Sta Venera tunnel exits, Mdina Road in Qormi and Tal-Barrani Road in Żejtun. Some of them were installed yesterday.
Traffic experts who spoke to The Times dubbed the new speed cameras as "cash cows", despite transport authority denials, and argued that their positioning does not make sense.
Reacting to a statement against the cameras issued by the Chamber of Small and Medium Businesses, the Malta Transport Authority (ADT) yesterday reiterated that the speed limits set will "ensure the safety of the driver, passengers, pedestrians and all other road users".
The ADT also published statistics of injuries and deaths that have occurred on the same roads between 2005 and 2007.
The Coast Road was the only place which claimed two lives, one in 2005 and another in 2007. On this road, 19 people suffered serious injuries and 44 suffered slight injuries.
In Mdina Road, six people suffered serious injuries and 42 suffered slight injuries in those three years. On the St Paul's Bay bypass, seven people were seriously hurt while 10 were slightly injured.
Outside the Sta Venera tunnels, seven people were seriously injured while 29 were only slightly injured. On the Tal-Barrani Road, 11 people were seriously injured and 43 slightly. On the Birkirkara bypass, nine were seriously hurt and 14 slightly.
"Our duty is to ensure the safety of law-abiding drivers, passengers, pedestrians and all users of our roads. None of these will be paying anything as a result of the introduction of speed cameras but all will enjoy greater safety and a reduced incidence of accidents and risk of being harmed or killed," the ADT said.
Traffic expert Hugh Arnett, who was involved in the decision to install speed cameras in Attard and on the Coast Road, said the new speed cameras were "definitely cash traps" which were going to increase the number of tail-gate accidents.
"The cameras will be placed on incredibly busy roads where no particularly serious accidents take place. These roads were built to take speed. A speed of 60 km/hr is childish."
mxuereb@timesofmalta.com