In the not so distant past, the beautiful island of Gozo was commonly thought of as a sleepy, easy-going place.  The same cannot be said now.  In fact the island is gaining a reputation for dangerous roads, a race against time and a degenerating social and environmental condition.

Desperate citizens of the island have taken to their 18,000 member strong facebook site GoZone to lament the way vehicles are continuously speeding through the villages, putting at risk both animals and humans with the reckless driving.  Long gone are the days when a dog used to lie across the street and lazily move along whilst the car waited patiently for it to do so.  Or when drivers kept such incidents in mind when entering the village. 

Now it is cats getting run over and persons jumping out of the way to avoid getting mowed down.   Not to mention the noise of revving and motor-bikes at full throttle.

Some streets are worse than others.  In Sannat, there is Triq Skerla which goes up from the Y that divides Skerla and Ta Cenc road and motor bikes head towards the cliffs of Ta Cenc, as do quad bikes and large SUVs.  They fly in passing along and beneath residential blocks where pedestrians and tourists could be walking.  The space also includes a pedestrian area but it is treated like a race course by many bikers and drivers just mentioned.    Following the asphalting of the Ta Cenc cliff road residents requested that speed bumps and a barrier would be placed on the road.   The workers have gone and nothing indicates that these speed bumps will materialize.

In the coming months a massive new construction is due to start in the proximity and the construction vehicles will probably be coming down this road too.  A terrible accident is waiting to happen when a bike will crash into a truck because both will be blind to each other and the bike will be doing what it always does.

This situation is repeated in many other villages and towns such as in Nadur and Triq L-Imgarr.  Many residents have tried to do something about the danger on the road but no authority has taken action.  People have formed groups to try and get a solution but have had to give up as all complaints and requests have fallen on deaf ears.  And yet the problem only gets worse.

Why do drivers on Gozo speed so much?  Will they lay the blame on Maltese drivers?  Since this problem has now been going on for some years, it is more likely that it is local drivers who are to blame, although bikers may also be from Malta.  The age demographic can also be a factor. But whether local or tourist, it is still a serious issue which needs to be tackled.

The pace of life in Gozo has changed over the years.  Many people work and still have to keep up with the needs of the family and an aging population.  But many shops and offices still close at 11.30 a.m. or noon.  The race to get to the shops is one factor that contributes to the speed of drivers.  Then there are all the B&Bs (bed & breakfast), farmhouse and apartment holiday rentals that need to be provisioned, cleaned and serviced.  In the past, the rush to catch the ferry was the main culprit but now it has become second nature to many Gozitans to think that their roads are as quiet as they were in the past when that is clearly and absolutely not the case. 

Anytime you are driving from Mgarr towards Victoria you will have had several close encounters which you just managed to avoid in time. 

This discrepancy in Malta and Gozo between reality and denial is great.  Until a problem is acknowledged it will not be resolved and to resolve a problem it takes will to do so.  Anyone who has been living in Gozo for the past 20 years can tell you it is most definitely not the place it was before and the past 5 years have accelerated at a really fast pace towards it becoming a noisy, dangerous, traffic polluted place.  Each morning the Mgarr harbor is covered in bikes, quad bikes, coaches, cars and taxis ready for the rentals.  That increases the traffic on the roads significantly and adds pressure on local drivers trying to get about their business. 

The issue, however, has to do with lack of enforcement and rules.  There is also no respect towards pedestrians and residents.  Come Summer there is also the expectation that the main square will be closed to traffic due to the Festa and many access routes are diverted or closed.   The time it takes too for roads to be surfaced is way too long and puts commuters out.  In the past there may have been a sense of self-regulation but that is clearly no longer the case and the need for proper road management is now critical.  Using a mobile phone whilst driving is also causing many accidents, especially with cats being run over.  The level of distraction amongst many drivers is also to blame.  Many in Gozo will recall how a pedestrian was badly injured by a car which reversed onto the pavement and the victim was impaled between the car and the wall. 

Let us now not go the way of blaming the pedestrians or the cats for being on the road.  We should not blame the charm and character of Gozo for clashing with the insane drivers. 

Eco-Gozo now seems to be something of the past.  More like Echo-Gozo.  Committees of experts are needed to assess the reality of development and behaviour in Gozo and measures taken to control the excessive speeds and educate drivers into moderating their behaviour.  It may be time to adjust the clocks in Gozo so that modern living needs are met where the need is felt.

Local Councils need to take a proper look at what all the citizens’ needs are and not just those of the building contractors.  At the very least, a speed sign restricting driving to 30k speed limit in places and more mirrors with stop signs can be installed.  Any use of mobile phones when driving should also be penalized.  Spots of particular danger need to be identified and measures taken immediately to avoid the risk of accidents.  The new round-about near Xewkija is way too large and the mirror that was there before needs to be replaced as soon as possible.

With the rainy season coming on, roads can be flooded and poor vision can add to the difficult conditions when driving.  Everyone is responsible and should become aware of how they are driving and when needed, moderate and improve it.  Awareness, though, should begin with authorities who should act on repeated appeals by their residents for better control and better road safety.

We cannot afford to delay any longer in creating a safe environment for all and to preserve the villages of Gozo as lovely places to live in.