Roadside inspections by Transport Malta plummeted in 2017 because enforcement officers were needed to help in traffic management, according to a report.
Transport Malta said that there had been a drop in the number of roadside technical inspections last year when compared to 2016 because the team was used to manage traffic.
Roadside inspections involved stopping vehicles to test for mechanical failures, emissions and brakes, among other technical issues, a spokesman for Transport Malta said.
The inspections carried out last year numbered 2,751, down from 3,590 the previous year.
The spokesman said a number of enforcement officers from the vehicle inspectorate unit were deployed in strategic traffic points during the morning rush hour to help ensure the traffic flows. He did not specify how many enforcement officers were involved. The number of days the enforcement officers were involved in traffic management duties more than doubled in the period under review, the report pointed out.
The number of days the enforcement officers were involved in traffic management duties more than doubled
“The vehicle inspectorate unit, however, has since been beefed up with additional personnel and assets, including a brand new van to operate from,” the spokesman said.
The unit’s added visibility on the road was having its desired effect because more owners were ensuring their commercial vehicles were in order, thus avoiding inspections, he added.
Over half of the vehicles tested during roadside technical inspections failed: 1,368 vehicles passed but 1,383 did not.
The report also indicated that Transport Malta’s enforcement directorate issued 14,034 tickets for traffic-related offences last year, up 38 per cent over 2016.
A whopping 96 per cent increase was reported in infringement letters issued to road contractors or service providers
The majority of fines were issued in March (1,865) followed by February (1,832) and January (1,602). The bulk of the motorists booked were in St Julian’s, St Paul’s Bay and at the Malta International Airport.
Most of the contraventions were related to illegal parking (4,673), expired licences (2,779) and licences not displayed on to the windscreen (2,550).
A whopping 96 per cent increase was reported in infringement letters issued to road contractors or service providers last year compared to 2016.
In all, 143 enforcement letters were sent to contractors or service providers in 2017 for not observing road works regulations.
The spokesman attributed this increase to a higher number of field officers and more site visits.