There is barely a locality in Malta and Gozo today that can boast of having clearly legible road markings.

On the contrary, many times one has to guess whether the line is a double white line, a single continuous white line, a dotted line or nothing at all.

And, on such a contentious issue as parking, with eagle-eyed wardens out to fine anyone who parks as much as a few inches out or go over into the next bay’s markings, let alone differentiate between yellow lines, blue lines and assorted markings, one has to actually get out of the car and try to decipher the markings in order to avoid being fined. The bad lighting in most of our streets does not help, either.

Yet keeping the road markings clear, legible and visible should be one of the ongoing jobs of local councils and the government department that oversees local councils should examine which councils are most blatant in their neglect and stop them from getting the finance they actually receive every year to keep road markings visible and legible.