Various road projects undertaken in the past years by the Nationalist government prove the incompetence and waste of the administration, said opposition acting leader Charles Mangion yesterday.

Dr Mangion was speaking during a press conference in Attard where Paul Rubens Street, which has only recently been laid, has cracked quite badly.

Dr Mangion said the PN had been breaking promises for the past 20 years when it came to roads. In 1987, he said, the PN promised smooth roads and in 1992 promised European standard roads.

In 1998, the government promised to sort out all of the roads while five years ago, they promised a good standard of work without going over deadlines, said Dr Mangion.

Dr Mangion said the facts speak for themselves in that the government has not kept its promises. He said that proof exists in the fact that so much damage was caused to so many roads in the recent rain deluge.

The MLP acting leader said there had also been many instances where recently constructed roads were damaged and there were also large cost overruns while the work was completed much after original target dates.

He mentioned the Mtarfa bypass, the Mosta ringroad, Civil Aviation Avenue, Hal Far Road and the Manwel Dimech Bridge as examples. However, he said that it was now becoming apparent that even residential roads which have been resurfaced are showing signs of damage.

He recalled that Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett had, in July 2004, boasted that for the first time, Malta was going to have the opportunity to have roads which are of a standard befitting modern countries. He also said that the minister had visited the road in question in Attard, saying that the project would improve the quality of life of residents. He also said that last August, Mr Mugliett said that roads were being built seriously and properly. “What has happened here shows that this is not the case,” said Dr Mangion.

He said that over the past three years, the government has received about one billion euros through taxes, EU funding and privatisation processes, but the people of Malta were not getting good value for money.

Opposition MP Charles Buhagiar also spoke during the conference and said that now, in the run up to the election, the government seemed to have woken up to the fact that there are hundreds of residential roads that had never been resurfaced. As a result a scheme was announced to build some 400 roads in two years. He added that those contractors who do not come up to standard were supposed to be struck off the list.

He said that the work was carried out very quickly so as to have all the roads ready by election time and due to this added haste, lack of planning and supervision, faults were occurring. He also mentioned Birbal Street in Balzan which was supposed to be completed by the end of 2007. It is still in a disastrous sate, he said.