Comments about the activities of local wardens at the Gozo Carnival weekend drew a rebuttal by the Joint Committee of local councils for law enforcement services in Gozo and the Guard and Warden Agency which offers warden services there.

The committee and agency said the comments regarding warden activities were not factual.

During the Carnival weekend more wardens manned the streets at the request of the local councils, however most of them were involved in the management of traffic at Mgarr Harbour and in Nadur where, during the evening festivities, they were at their post until 2am, they said. Their duties in this respect were solely to direct and manage traffic and no contraventions were in fact issued at this time.

Contraventions issued during the carnival weekend were normal in terms of numbers. This was mainly due to the educational campaign started by the Gozo Joint Committee a few months ago, permitting wardens to issue warnings rather than contraventions. In fact, about 30 warnings were issue in all during the Carnival weekend.

The extreme influx of cars required maximum monitoring by both the police and the local wardens, who issued contraventions only in serious cases. Many of these were in fact for contravening traffic lights, an offence which, the committee and agency said, must definitely be curbed in an effort to save lives, reduce injuries and protect property.

“It is a well known fact that certain individual driving behaviour and decisions made by aggressive drivers can lead to loss of life and life threatening injuries. It is the goal of the Joint Committee for local councils to change this behaviour and outcomes through enforcement and education.”