I have been following the exchange of letters in TMID between the Malta Transport Authority’s PR manager and the Floriana Senior Citizens’ President about the pelican lights along St Anne Street.

Sure enough, the one side that has not yet voiced its views on this matter are the thousands of motorists/workers who have to commute daily to Valletta.

I therefore urge (as do probably the thousands of fellow-workers in Valletta), the Malta Transport Authority not to switch on the pelican lights again. The improvement in traffic flow since the lights have been switched off has been colossal. Traffic flows smoothly through Blata l-Bajda or Portes Des Bombes as it has not done since the lights were first introduced.

I ask: “Does it really make sense to have pelican lights on such a busy road?” There is no doubt that nowhere in the world would you come across pelican crossings on a three-lane dual-carriageway such as St Anne Street. I remember very clearly that those pelican lights were introduced as a temporary measure some years back.

Instead of wasting its efforts on holding pointless press conferences, Floriana local council should spend more of its energy on encouraging the residents and senior citizens of Floriana to use the underpasses and not to risk their lives. If the residents of Floriana do not deem the underpasses up to standard, then the local council should indeed channel some of its resources and make the necessary modifications to them.

After all, are the elderly residents of Floriana any different from the residents of large European cities who use underpasses and subways as a rule? I guess not.

So please do look at the improvement in traffic flow and leave those lights off.

Vivienne Pace

KIRKOP