Senglea appears to have been relegated to the status of a backwater town. There is a general desultory air in the environs, and mounds of rubbish and bulky refuse are being allowed to collect here and there. The garden with a vedette, hitherto such a great attraction, has also been left to languish.

Wrong Routes

The talks about the reform in the public transport system go on. And on. Many people cannot differentiate between the roles of the Public Transport Association and the Transport Authority; the sooner this is made clear, the better. Besides, no reform will ever be complete without the residents of outlying districts of towns and villages being catered for. People should not have to walk anything up to 20 minutes to reach a bus stop or fare stage. Night trips are necessary in some areas, too.

Road Ways

An ideal way to overhaul the service would be to make it financially worthwhile for people to use alternative means of transport. This would include anything - electric bicycles or motorcycles for hire, boat trips, cheaper taxis... Encourage healthy competition between the time-honoured public bus service and the other types available.

Crossing Purposes

A week has passed since this column pointed out the faded zebra crossing opposite the Preluna Hotel in Tower Road, Sliema. During this time, the local council has not found the wherewithal to purchase a tin of white road-paint, and to pay a workman to apply it. Apart from this, Sliema's dangerously broken-up High Street, in the area opposite Stella Maris Church, has not even been patched up. The damage dates back from when drains were taken up when the Palace Hotel was being built.

Umbrella Terms

The bus shelter at the Tal-Barrani end of Triq il-Palma, Tarxien was demolished some two months ago because of some structural damage. However, it was not replaced. In the meantime passengers travelling towards Valletta have to stand and wait in the scorching sun; buses are not that frequent, either. The shelter must be replaced as soon as possible.

Dead or Alive

The Valletta Alive initiative is all very well; but it would seem that some outlets see the festival as the ideal time to make a quick buck. One particular food outlet's chicken baguette contained literally only a few threads of meat, with two meagre 2cm by 4cm strips of bacons, with warm soft drinks to boot. All too often, menus are torn and dingy, with laminations peeling off. The toilets are none too clean, either. One wonders how many inspections are carried out weekly, let alone daily.

Wrong Numbered

In the corner opposite Fexco in Naxxar Road, San Ġwann, there used to be a skip practically since time immemorial. Nearly a fortnight ago this was removed, for reasons unknown. However, in the hope that it will suddenly materialise, people are still depositing mounds of rubbish there. And of course, the refuse collectors don't blink an eye - they simply go about their job and collect the bags. One wonders whether the local council knows, or cares, about this state of affairs.

Bogged Down

Hundreds of mostly foreign students congregate daily at Gian Frangisk Abela Junior College. These may occasionally need to use the toilets. On the ground floor there are two sections marked as "staff toilets" - one of these is kept closed, presumably to live up to its name. The other contains cubicles that are not really clean - and indeed, the only one which is has a door that has been torn off its hinges, discouraging anyone from using this particular booth.

Clean Sweep

A scheme that is being tried and monitored in Torquay as part of a drive to curb yob alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour, bears copying. Police officers come armed - with a bucket and mop - and order anyone caught fouling the streets to clean up their own mess, there and then. This means that people no longer have to hold their noses as they pass through the streets in the mornings, before the public cleaners take over.

Family Ties

It is a well-known fact that several people abuse the welfare system by claiming to be unemployed or single parents, when the reality is different. Those who genuinely want to help themselves may find that "the system" works against them, because it does not offer flexibility of shared jobs or flexitime, thus making it difficult to hold down a job when young children are still in their care. Easy to get to and reasonably priced child-care centres would make things easier.

Boxed In

Something really must be done about selfish shop owners who take up more parking space than they ought to. Some of them do this by parking two vehicles away from each other just enough for a third one to squeeze in when the first two are driven forward and backward respectively. Others do this by planting crates below the pavement. Others still put a table and chairs, ostensibly for customers, but which can be quickly shoved out of the way if the need arises.

Let Live

Promoting one's beliefs and defending one's interests are part of everyday life and such practice is perfectly in order. However, in doing so one must always show utter respect to other people who may have different opinions and interests. Against this background, BirdLife are invited to ensure their publicity campaigns do not harm their cause by being seen "provocative".

Public Account

Will the Malta Transport Authority, if it is still operational, kindly inform the public how many transport operators were booked for blocking the roads on those four days of the strike? Will it kindly also say how many buses, mini-buses and taxis have been checked since then to gauge exhaust emissions and how many of them were found in default?