The rains have been harsh this year. Nearly every morning, the main thoroughfares are inundated with run-off water, and the rural roads and valley catchment areas are even worse.

When it rains in Malta, it absolutely buckets down, there is no doubt. There is also no doubt that the raging torrents of water which rip through our streets and roads do cause damage. But equally, there is no doubt that we, taxpaying citizens who pay for our licences, were told that new road-building techniques would result in better and more hard wearing roads which would not need the usual hot patching, or whatever they call it.

The truth is far from this. Everywhere in Malta, motorists are having to be extremely careful as to how they drive. There are massive potholes in many localities, and in some incidences, whole roads have buckled.

We state again, the rains do not help. But is it possible that in the year 2012, we are still building roads which come to pieces, every time there is a downpour? If this was any other country, the Transport Authority would be inundated with court summons filed by people (who have paid a road tax) who would sue for damages incurred.

In fact, it might not be a bad idea for some people power, in this regard. The government and the Labour Party have both said that the roads issue will be at the top of their agenda. But will it? Really? Somehow, we doubt it.

What is needed is some form of collective effort to shock the government into action – the setting up of a lobby group, to actually file writs against the authorities when people damage their vehicles through having driven into a pothole that is in fact as large as a crater. There are examples everywhere – San Ġwann, Mosta, Siġġiewi, Ħaż-Żebbuġ, Attard, Naxxar – probably every locality in Malta and Gozo. We repeat, rain causes damage – that’s a given. But is this attitude of “wait till the weather improves and go patch the roads with tar”, the right one? No, we think not. Something really needs to be done about the state of the roads. Rather than improve, they actually seem to be getting worse as the older ones need more maintenance and the newer ones also begin to suffer from wear and tear. The motorist pays road tax, and in return, he or she should expect, at least, for the road surface to be adequate enough not to destroy one’s vehicle.