The St Julian’s local council is once again asking the transport authority to take heed of the suggestions it put forward.

Transport Malta is failing to discuss important issues with local councils, ignoring any suggestions they may have, St Julian’s mayor Guido Dalli has claimed.

The mayor told Times of Malta that despite repeated calls for the watchdog to meet with the council whenever decisions that impact residents were to be taken, this was not happening.

According to Mr Dalli, the council was only informed on Thursday that works on Birkirkara Road were to be carried out the following night between 11pm and 5am on Saturday morning.

The council had already criticised the watchdog last month for issuing a permit for nighttime construction works.  Residents had complained that the overnight works had left them unable to sleep. 

“We had already voiced our concerns the last time round, when again we were only informed a day before that the works would be carried out.

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“As a council, we have come up with a series of suggestions and alternatives so that the works would not have to go on all through the night, but we are never consulted so we can never discuss anything,” an irate Mr Dalli added.

The mayor pointed out that while it was understandable that the watchdog was trying to avoid adding to traffic problems in an area close to the Kappara junction project, the residents’ well-being also needed to be kept in mind.

We have come up with suggestions and alternatives so that the works would not have to go on all night but we are never consulted

“Had Transport Malta contacted us before, we could have agreed to, for instance, providing additional parking spaces so that the works are carried out between 7 and 11pm.

“But we are always kept in the dark.  There is no collaboration with council,” the mayor said.

Photos sent by residents to this newspaper last month clearly show more than one heavy vehicle being used, with people living there saying the trucks drove up and down the road to transport the debris, generating dust and noise all night long.

The council only issues permits for work that is carried out “strictly during the day”, normally between 8.30am and 5pm on workdays and has repeatedly said it backed residents who complained about works carried out at night.