Sliema and St Julian’s are intrinsically associated with tourism. While the first is a commercial town that attracts thousands of tourists and Maltese shoppers every day, the second is an area with a concentration of top-notch hotels as well as having the entertainment mecca on the island going by the name of Paceville.

As such, they are places that are visited by thousands of non-residents each and every day, making them very busy places. But, first and foremost, they are also residential towns, with people who have invested in their property and who would like to live in peace and tranquility – and in a clean environment too.

But this is not happening. A quick drive through Sliema and St Julian’s immediately gives the impression that the towns are not well looked after. They both look dirty and shabby, and this is frustrating for many of the residents who live there. Non-residents do not give two hoots about this because they come and go; it is the residents who live there.

For one thing, the idea to collect rubbish so late in the day already gives a shabby look to the streets. Seeing black or grey garbage bags piling up next to doorsteps for most of the morning, if not afternoon as well, does not give the idea of a clean town. Why did the two local councils go for this system? Why is garbage not collected before 7am as used to be the practice not so long ago?

Added to this shabby appearance, we must mention the traffic chaos that takes place during peak hours when this rubbish is being collected. Most of the streets in these localities have one traffic lane, and this means that cars get caught behind garbage collection vehicles moving at a snail’s pace.

Secondly, the more popular areas, including the promenade that starts from Spinola Bay in St Julian’s and finishes at Għar id-Dud in Sliema should be cleaned of the grime and dirt that accumulates every day. This area is frequented by thousands in summer, and it is a great pity that the two councils give so little attention to keep it clean.

And this is not only happening in these popular stretches. There are areas in both St Julian’s and Sliema which have been ignored by the councils, where street sweepers have not been seen for weeks, if not months, and where public places including gardens and recreational areas have been neglected.

Both the Sliema and St Julian’s councils must pull up their socks and work harder to make sure that the streets and public areas they are responsible for are kept in ship-shape condition.