Letting Transport Malta use local councils' funds to develop and maintain roads in towns and villages would be a much more efficient system than at present as at TM had expertise, Mosta Mayor Edwin Vassallo said today.

Addressing a press conference for the inauguration of 10 new roads in Blata l-Gholja, Mosta, Mr Vassallo said he would be ready to abdicate his right to decide how best to spend funds for roadworks given to the Mosta council if this would see works improve.

"Lets face it, the authorities which have all the expertise, would do more with a million Euros than we could," he said.

Mr Vassallo said Mosta had some 300 residential roads, 80 of which needed works. If the local council were to handle all the works, it would need some 20 years as funds were only enough for four roads to be done every year.

He thanked Transport Minister Joe Mizzi for intervening and using government assets to carry out the works.

Mr Mizzi said the government was helping out wherever it could. Over the coming months several localities will benefit from patching works, he added.