The Infrastructure, Transport and Communication Ministry expressed “serious concern” that for “reasons of populism” Labour leader Joseph Muscat was prepared to put people’s lives at risk.

It was responding to remarks by Dr Muscat about speed cameras being installed in six locations which impose 60kph limits and which motorists are seeing not as safety equipment but as cash cows. One reason the ministry gave as justification for the cameras is that in the three years between 2005-07 there had been in all two deaths and 59 persons who were injured in the six locations.

Denying that the speed limits were a tax as, the ministry said, Dr Muscat had labelled them, it said that research had shown that excessive speed is the major cause of accidents. The studies showed that for each one km drop in speed there were three per cent fewer incidents. The government, the ministry said, was duty bound to protect people in spite of Dr Muscat’s populism.

Speed signs were not put up at the whims of politicians like Dr Muscat, it added. This was a technical subject and the ministry went on to quote the UK Department of Transport about how speed limits should be established:

“A key factor when setting a speed limit is what the road looks like to the road users, such as its geometry and adjacent land use. Drivers are likely to expect and respect lower limits, and be influenced when deciding on what is an appropriate speed, where they can see there are potential hazards, for example outside schools, in residential areas or villages and in shopping streets.

“Higher speed is often perceived to bring benefits in terms of shorter travel times for people and goods. However, evidence suggests that when traffic is travelling at constant speeds, even at a lower level, it may result in shorter and more reliable overall journey times.

“Mean speeds and 85th percentile speeds (the speed at or below which 85 per cent of the traffic is travelling) are the most commonly recorded characteristics of speed. Traffic authorities should continue to routinely collect and assess both, but mean speeds should be used as the basis for determining local speed limits. This is a change from the use of 85th percentile speed in Circular Roads 01/93 (DoT, 1993). As explained in paragraph 17, the use of mean speeds is underpinned by extensive research demonstrating the well proven relationship between speed and accident frequency and severity. They also reflect what the majority of drivers perceive as an appropriate speed to be driven for the road, and are felt to be easier for road users themselves to understand.”

The speed limits in the speed cameras’ locations were calculated according to the old system of 85 per cent of maximum speed, instead of the more restrictive norms now recommended by the UK Department of Transport, the ministry added. Under the more recent recommendations, the limits would be substantially lower, it said.

Dr Muscat’s “incompetence is dangerous”, the ministry said. If today he were in a position of implementing what he preached, he “would be endangering lives”.

In a counter-statement, the PL said that even experts were calling for a revision in the way speed cameras are utilised, describing them as cash cows.