“The fact that the government will not give a deadline for the repair work being done on the southern part of the St Paul's Bay bypass, which is creating a single carriage way for drivers, is a sign of disrespect towards the citizen,” said Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Harry Vassallo during a press conference held just in front of the site were the works are being carried out.

Another case was mentioned where road works caused an avalanche of mud in Xemxija a couple of years ago and as a consequence a house had lost its foundations. According to Dr Vassallo an investigation is still underway, and no repairs have taken place as yet. “Enforcement orders were issued which were ignored by those carrying out the work, and if the Malta Environmental Planning Authority (MEPA) remains silent in such a case, then the regulator becomes an accomplice in the matter,” said Dr Vassallo.

“The contractors in Malta are spoilt, and in the last 30 or so years they have been given priority before anyone else. AD believes that a referendum should be held in the case of all big projects so that citizens of a locality can decide if they want a project to take place for the benefit of their community or not,” he said.

“The proposals we have been making since 1992 regarding the regulation of party finances, need to be enforced immediately so as to create a change of culture on our islands as a whole. Everyone is entitled to being safe in their home, and as private citizens we should not have to have all these battles against contractors and developers,” he added.