Magistrate Joe Mifsud today ordered Joseph Schembri to pay a €4,000 fine for causing the involuntary death of pedestrian Salvatore Galea in Pope John Paul II Street in Victoria.

The Court heard that Mr Schembri never saw Galea walking, and did not apply the brakes on his truck.

The Pedestrian was walking on the side of the road because of an obstruction, the court heard.

The Court explained that if the driver kept a lookout, he would have noticed the pedestrian and could have avoided the incident.

He was found guilty, fined €4,000 and disqualified from driving for three months. Damages were also paid.

The Court took the opportunity to speak about abuse on Gozitan roads.

Magistrate Mifsud expressed its worry on the number of traffic accidents on Malta's sister island.

He said that there is no doubt that in serious accidents, there is always an element of excessive driving involved. When a driver loses control, overturns or ends up on the other side of the road he must be going at high speed.

The Court feels that traffic supervision and control is so weak, that it is ineffective, aside from the work done by traffic policemen.

A driver must drive correctly, whether there are police looking in his direction or not, he said.

The time has come for Transport Malta to take the necessary measures and introduce speed calming measures to avoid tragedy. Magistrate Mifsud said that wardens should not only be there to fine drivers who exceed the parking times allowed at parking meters, he said, criticising wardens for rarely fining anyone who ignores a stop sign.

The Court also noted abuses that occur at traffic lights.