The works on Triq id-Dar ta' Pultu in Birzebbuga have been issued as a departmental tender and the adjudication process is still underway, Transport Malta said today.

In a statement replying to a news conference by the Birzebbuga council yesterday, TM said that following the removal of the previous contractor, who was allegedly involved in a fraud case, TM had to issue fresh calls for a new contractor.

A call through the current framework agreement proved unsuccessful as were two simultaneous calls worth €500,000 each issued for generic interventions, which the authority planned to use on all the outstanding road works involving the excluded contractor and other major patching works.

But the call offs through the Framework Agreement were unsuccessful since there were no submissions by contractors.

TM said that this week, it authorised a direct order for an intervention to assist the disabled person who lived in this road.

TM noted that Triq id-Dar ta' Pultu, where the mayor lived, was not the only street in Birzebbuga, which was going through these procedures.

Another such road not mentioned during the news conference was Triq il-Port Hieles. Other roads in Birzebbuga that are part of the TM residential road programme planned for the coming months, are Triq Dun Gorg Zammit, Triq Ghansar and Triq il-Gurgier.