A couple of days of heavy rain earlier this month and the tarmac truck was back in town. The pathetic ex-ercise is a sorry spectacle to watch. Two men, neither of whom were wearing masks, shovels in hand, were packing the potholes and breathing in the toxic fumes.
No doubt, those same potholes will reappear after the next downpour. And so will a few fresh ones, as is the sad norm. As usual, the roads that will suffer most will be the main thoroughfares because they take on the heaviest traffic, if not the heaviest vehicles. Which means more damage to our cars, more money down the drain for tarmac, and more patchwork so the roads become bumpier. The diabolical state of the Kappara hill, for instance, is unacceptable; and the tarmac truck doesn't seem to have been round recently.
The reality is, this futile patching practice will only end when the entire road network is upgraded to meet acceptable, if not international, standards. The government and local councils could allocate millions of euros in funds and draw up the most ambitious plans in the world. The fundamental principle, however, is getting the materials right. Every stretch of road, not just the new bypasses or a road here and there, must be surfaced with durable tarmac suitable for our geology. And then they must be left alone.
Upgrading the network will cost a fortune and take years, but the mammoth task that the authorities have before them must be considered a long-term investment. There was a billboard campaign a few years back touting funding for roads. The caption read Biex int tghix aħjar (for you to live better). Hardly. Good roads are not a privilege. Motorists are entitled to have a good road network to drive on, because we've all paid good money and forked out hefty taxes for our cars. The bling costs an arm and a leg and VAT too. So does replacing damaged rims and split axles.
If every other civilised country in the Mediterranean where it rains has worked out the magic mix for durable tarmac, I can't see why our contractors and consultants haven't. Sadly, every time they get it wrong, it's our money that's washed away.
No doubt, those same potholes will reappear after the next downpour. And so will a few fresh ones, as is the sad norm. As usual, the roads that will suffer most will be the main thoroughfares because they take on the heaviest traffic, if not the heaviest vehicles. Which means more damage to our cars, more money down the drain for tarmac, and more patchwork so the roads become bumpier. The diabolical state of the Kappara hill, for instance, is unacceptable; and the tarmac truck doesn't seem to have been round recently.
The reality is, this futile patching practice will only end when the entire road network is upgraded to meet acceptable, if not international, standards. The government and local councils could allocate millions of euros in funds and draw up the most ambitious plans in the world. The fundamental principle, however, is getting the materials right. Every stretch of road, not just the new bypasses or a road here and there, must be surfaced with durable tarmac suitable for our geology. And then they must be left alone.
Upgrading the network will cost a fortune and take years, but the mammoth task that the authorities have before them must be considered a long-term investment. There was a billboard campaign a few years back touting funding for roads. The caption read Biex int tghix aħjar (for you to live better). Hardly. Good roads are not a privilege. Motorists are entitled to have a good road network to drive on, because we've all paid good money and forked out hefty taxes for our cars. The bling costs an arm and a leg and VAT too. So does replacing damaged rims and split axles.
If every other civilised country in the Mediterranean where it rains has worked out the magic mix for durable tarmac, I can't see why our contractors and consultants haven't. Sadly, every time they get it wrong, it's our money that's washed away.