We are writing in reference to a letter entitled “Nuisance caused by foreign students” (ToM, 7 August). The letter was signed by Lino Briguglio of Sliema.

We concur fully with everything that Mr Briguglio said in his letter, and we would like to describe our situation here in residential Kappara.

The nuisance caused by foreign students is a scourge which is felt in many parts of Malta, including Kappara. The school in Kappara, which is attended by foreign students also holds a summer school throughout the summer holidays.  This summer school is open not only to students who regularly attend the school, but also other students from around Malta.

Among the many problems felt acutely here in Kappara are the littering and transport aspects.  Littering is not only confined to the streets, but also to private residential properties adjacent to the local private school these foreign students attend.  The foreign students have been known to trespass on these private residential properties to eat their lunch and smoke their cigarettes, discarding all their litter in the front garden before leaving. 

As for transport, a large number of coaches, minibuses and private cars clog our streets at various times throughout the day, ferrying foreign and local students to and from the school. All these vehicles generate a copious amount of toxic emissions, as well as blocking private driveways and garages in the area. Many of these vehicles leave their engines running while parked to keep their air-conditioners running, all to the detriment of residents. Furthermore, despite a large number of signs limiting speed to 30 km/h, many of the organised transport vehicles are often in a great hurry and drive up and down our streets well beyond this speed limit, sound their horns continuously (often gas horns, also known as fog horns). Parking, needless to say, is often haphazard and downright illegal in some cases, with vehicles parking on double yellow lines, on the pavement and on corners, as well as double parking. This erratic parking creates a number of blind spots and is often the cause of many collisions. This can all be confirmed by Kappara residents as well as police officers on fixed-point duty at the Russian Embassy. 

In Kappara’s case, this was and still is a strictly residential area, where the residents were here long before the school opened its doors. The previous government under Dr Lawrence Gonzi was well aware of the situation and had assured us at various meetings held at the Office of the Prime Minister that this was no place for the school and that it would be entering into discussions with the school’s principals with the aim of the school moving out of residential Kappara. However, we long-suffering residents are still waiting for this to happen, and for the school’s premises to revert back to residential use. The previous government was also of the opinion that the school was badly located, as it is also bang opposite a foreign embassy.

Mr Briguglio’s letter dealt with the problems faced by residents in the summer months, but in Kappara’s case we suffer problems all year round because of the school in our midst. Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muscat has long known of these problems, even when he was in Opposition. Kappara residents have requested a meeting with the Prime Minister and with Acting Police Commissioner Ray Zammit respectively to highlight the situation on the ground and hopefully find a solution to these long existing problems.

Louis Camilleri

Josephine Mifsud

Kappara residents