Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Ian Borg welcomed the Malta Road Safety Council at his Ministry.
Borg commended the Council for its work and determination to increase awareness and push forward proposals and schemes for improved road safety. He said that as the number of cars on Maltese roads increases every day, we must continue to work tirelessly towards common awareness of safe and responsible behaviour on local roads.
The Minister had words of praise for the collaborative effort between the Malta Police Force, the Civil Protection Department, Transport Malta and LESA, and applauded their hard work to keep our roads safe and raise awareness about responsible behaviour behind the wheel.
The Minister also spoke about the penalty point system, which was extended to all drivers as of 1st December 2017. Minister Borg said that the system is not without its difficulties, as many drivers have expressed their concerns. This being said however, he continued to say that it is important for these difficult decisions to be made, as it is essential to anticipate and prevent, rather than react, to accidents.
The penalty point system was launched together with the promotional campaign titled ‘Għal Sewqan Responsabbli’, spearheaded by Transport Malta, LESA and the Malta Police Force. This goes hand in hand with other campaigns launched by the Malta Road Safety Council and Transport Malta, and will surely continue to foster an increased sense of responsibility amongst drivers. The Malta Road Safety Council also has an ongoing educational campaign which includes interactive school visits, where students get to explore what road safety is all about. This is a collaborative effort with the involvement of the Malta Police Force and the Civil Protection Department.
The Minister concluded the meeting by recommending continued collaboration between the Malta Road Safety Council, Transport Malta, as well as the Ministry in order to continue achieving positive results in relation to road safety, which is a crucial aspect of the Ministry's work.