Commercial drivers should be road safety ambassadors and not be given more room to break their driving obligations, according to the Malta Road Safety Council’s executive manager, Pierre Vella.
He was reacting to comments made by the GRTU – Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises about the traffic penalty point system, which has been extended to all drivers.
Whereas before the beginning of this month it used to apply only to those who had just obtained their driving licence, all motorists now risk losing their licence for two months if they accumulate 12 penalty points over a 12-month period.
The GRTU’s chief executive, Abigail Mamo told Times of Malta those whose livelihood depended on driving spent longer hours on the roads and were, therefore, at a higher risk of accumulating penalty points. The GRTU felt such drivers should be afforded a higher number of points.
Read: Driving penalty point system 'can cost people their livelihoods'
Mr Vella said he was very surprised by the comments.
“We are all aware of the prevailing situation on our roads and commercial lorry drivers could be excellent ambassadors for road safety. People whose job puts them behind the wheel can be excellent advocates to illustrate and improve standards,” Mr Vella said when contacted.
Earlier this year, Mr Vella called for more enforcement, heftier traffic fines and the introduction of a point system.
The proposal to increase the point allocation to a category of drivers sent out the wrong message to the motoring community, he contended.
“The council is definitely aiming at improving road behaviour on the part of commercial drivers through the introduction of the points system,” he pointed out, calling for a joint law enforcement effort, especially with regard to the availability and maintenance of unloading bays.
Ms Mamo had complained that, despite consultation on general road safety last year, the GRTU’s recommendation to distinguish between commuting drivers and those whose livelihood depended on driving had fallen on deaf ears.
Point system abroad for commercial vehicles even stricter
Asked whether such a distinction was made abroad, Mr Vella noted that the systems in place elsewhere were very similar to those introduced in Malta. Most countries had different point allocation schedules but all were definitely more severe when it came to commercial vehicles.
“Deep concern” about Ms Mamo’s comments was also raised by cyclists.
“If you spend more time on the road you do not have a bigger risk of losing points if you are doing nothing wrong,” Bicycling Advocacy Group spokesman Jim Wightman said.
Read: Understanding the driving penalty points system
The cycling group referred to the “failed” UK system, where, it said, some commercial drivers had accrued over 30 points but were then let off by the courts solely because driving was their livelihood.
“Those same drivers went on to break the law again and, in some cases, killing innocent people,” it added.
“The livelihood excuse is a non-starter. Commercial drivers are more highly trained. If you break the law, you are putting other people's lives and their livelihoods at risk, not just your own,” the BAG warned.
It called on the GRTU to adopt a more active part in training responsible professional drivers.
“We simply can’t have a less safe law for commercial drivers,” the BAG insisted.