Having read your story and the explanation given by the Sliema and St Julian’s mayors on the shabbiness (TMID, 30 August) of these two localities – among the most frequented in Malta – I cannot help but ask the question: why did the councils decide the go into agreements with the rubbish collectors for them to go round in their smelly trucks picking up trash bags so late.

Not so long ago, rubbish used to be collected before 7am – and when people left for work the streets did not look like rubbish dumps, as most of the Sliema and St Julian’s streets look like these days.

As a resident of Sliema, I have seen mothers with pushchairs having to leave the pavement and go onto the road because they could not continue on their way because of large garbage bags on narrow pavements. I am sure that this happened in St Julian’s too.

What are the local councils waiting for to go back to the days when rubbish was collected before 7am. Are they waiting for someone to be run over?

■ Mary Cassar

Sliema