The directives that Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt sent to the Water Services Corporation and Enemalta Corporation to bring them in line with a new national policy to regulate all type of intervention on the local road network are welcome news. If anything, such a measure was long overdue.
The national policy, still in the making, is aimed to ensure better coordination and a higher level when road trenching works and road reinstatement works are carried out. For this purpose, a Quality Assurance Unit within the Network Infrastructure Department of the Malta Transport Authority has been set up.
Yet, the ministry thought it fit to pre-empt the setting up of the national policy by informing the two corporations that, with immediate effect, no trenching works are to be carried out without prior authorisation, except in the case of emergencies.
As from 1 January, all road works are to be contracted out by the Network Infrastructure Division on behalf and at the cost of the corporation requiring them. The aim of this is to ensure that road interventions “are carried out safely, efficiently and to high quality standards” while causing the least inconvenience.
We repeat – such a policy was long overdue. Finally, the government, or should we say Minister Gatt, is making an attempt to take the bull by the horns and regulate the current haphazard system of road works that are of great inconvenience to drivers, pedestrians and residents of the area affected.
Too often have we seen road interventions that, besides halting or slowing traffic, end up leaving our roads with trenches that are not covered up properly, or even left without a layer of tarmac. This means that the road surface would become uneven or potholes would appear, growing deeper and wider when it rains.
This has often led to damages to cars and traffic accidents too, and one wonders how come the culture of suing the responsible authorities for damages caused due to shoddy work has not yet taken hold in Malta.
From now onwards, the two corporations will carry extra responsibility, and although in his letters Minister Gatt made no reference to the involvement of local councils, these should also play a leading role to see that the road works carried out in their locality – in the roads under their responsibility – is of a high standard.
All local councils will tell you that one of the most common complaints that they receive from residents is about roads – either those they live in or others they use to get out of their locality on their way to work.
Having local councils pushing the corporations who in turn push the contractors to do a good job – and this with the supervision of the Network Infrastructure Department – should be able to lead to better quality of work.
One suggestion that could be made – and which should be included in the national policy – is for temporary directions to help drivers arrive to their destination if their normal route is blocked because of road works. Too often, drivers not used to particular areas end up wandering up and down narrow streets because the only road they are acquainted with is closed for traffic.
If this is not possible, then the wardens that are called up to redirect traffic should know how to explain to drivers what other roads they need to take to arrive at their destination. Again, too often wardens have no idea how to redirect traffic and simply wave drivers on without being of help.
What the minister did not do in his letter is give a timeframe as to when the national policy will be presented to the public. And, once this policy is drawn up, it is hoped that the measures introduced are implemented in their totality.