Taxpayers are forking out €2,500 each month in consultancy fees for the operation of electronic traffic signs installed two years ago, which are yet to become ‘intelligent’ as no real-time information is being relayed through them.

The signs, which were expected to go live last January, are still of limited use to motorists as they are mainly being used to display educational signs, like urging drivers to exercise caution.

Details on the consultancies awarded by the Transport Ministry were recently tabled in reply to a parliamentary question made by Opposition MP Jason Azzopardi.

It transpired that the Transport Ministry engaged 11 consultants – 10 by Transport Malta. The latter included David Lynn Seisun, who was providing “advice and assistance” for the so-called intelligent transport systems. The service was being rendered against a monthly remuneration of €2,500, excluding VAT, while any additional hours were being charged at €38.46 per hour.

The system comprises 34 variable message signs and 48 lane changing signs as well as a network of cameras to enable continuous monitoring of arterial roads.

The EU-funded project is meant to mitigate traffic congestion

Costing €700,000, the European Union-funded project is meant to mitigate traffic congestion by relaying real-time information to motorists.

The delay for the system to go live has been raised various times by Times of Malta as far back as July 2016. The government would always point out that work was still under way to install the cameras.

In September, a new control room was inaugurated at the authority’s enforcement directorate in Paola as part of the project.

The issue of the intelligent transport system was once again raised by the Times of Malta last November when Transport Minister Ian Borg visited the facility.

Back then a Transport Malta official pledged that by the start of this year there would be enough employees to operate the network on a 24-hour basis in order for the system to go live.

Meanwhile, from the information tabled in Parliament it also transpired that Ray Fava is getting €40,000, excluding VAT, as a consultant on human resources, while Pierre Vella is getting a similar package in connection with consultancy on road safety.

Furthermore, the remuneration covers Mr Vella’s role as executive manager of the Road Safety Council.

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