The roundabout near the Bank of Valletta head offices in Santa Venera is a nightmare junction for drivers. Each and every day, at peak hours, traffic accumulates heavily in the area, much to the frustration of one and all. The presence of policemen at Kappara and near the roundabout at the end of Psaila Street is helpful. So why not place a policeman or two at Santa Venera too. It would surely help ease the traffic flow.

There are workmen who clean up the mess they leave behind on the road after they finish their job, and there are others who simply refuse the idea that what is public is theirs as well. It is all a matter of mentality. But perhaps local councils who issue permits for work the be carried out from the streets and wardens who are responsible for traffic arrangements should also have the duty to push the workmen to clean up once their job is finished.

The health authorities are urging the people, in particular those who are the more vulnerable, to take the influenza vaccine some time this month. The campaign that has been mounted by the authorities has so far been restricted to a press conference. Maybe there should be more publicity on this matter as it will surely serve as an eye-opener. Family doctors should also make it a point to discuss the issue with their patients and encourage them to take the vaccine.

Little has been heard lately about the migration plans to Mater Dei Hospital. The complex was officially handed over to the government three months ago and still there are no indications as to when it will be receiving its first patients. The government had made a promise that the hospital would be up and running by the end of the year. Will this promise be fulfilled?

The same goes for the Manwel Dimech Bridge. Although there are signs that the first part of the project is nearing the completion, no date has as yet been fixed as to when the carriageway that has been rebuilt will be open to traffic so that work on the other deck will start. The whole project – that is the two decks – was supposed to have been finished last month, but here we are in October and not even the first part has been finished.

The winter schedule on local television stations started last Monday and, from the very first week, it seems that we are back to what we were used to last year. There seems to have been little room for fresh ideas, new presenters and a different approach. The more popular programmes have retained the same format while others are simply rehashing old ideas. More of the same, to put it bluntly.

So, the price of milk and ricotta products have gone up because of price fluctuations on the international market. No doubt, we will have the usual propaganda about increased cost of living from one side and justifications that nothing can be done from the other side. While some might think that a few cents a day will not make a difference, others believe they will be hard hit because milk is, after all, a necessity.

Truck drivers will not have to leave their heavy vehicle to wash its wheels as they leave their construction site, when the new construction regulations are brought into force and implemented. All that will be needed is a foot-deep sloping trench across the site opening they use to drive into the public road, which would be filled with water. The trench would have to be long enough for the vehicle’s wheels to make a complete turn in the water. As the vehicle is driven out the wheels would go through the water, automatically shedding any mud they may have accumulated.