The Nationalist Party has called on the government to ensure that the safety of Regatta rowers is protected, as it raised concerns that training for the event is being interrupted by boats not following the law.
“The National Regatta, a sporting event that is an integral part of our tradition and identity, is being seriously undermined due to a total lack of enforcement by Transport Malta. National-level sports training in this discipline is being threatened by boats entering or leaving the Port unchecked, with no respect for speed limits or the safety of all those involved,” the party said in a statement on Tuesday.
“This is not only disrupting the commitment and dedication of our rowers, but it is putting the lives of those onboard, including young children who participate as coxswains, at serious risk. This is not a case of poor organisation, but rather a direct threat to the lives of athletes due to the negligence of others,” it said.
“This is happening every single day. And despite this, and despite the fact that the authorities have known about this danger for years, no concrete action has been taken to date,” it added.
The PN questioned why Transport Malta is not doing its job properly and why it is turning a blind eye to the situation. It said that there needs to be immediate enforcement of speed limits in Grand Harbour, a more visible presence of Transport Malta officers with the necessary resources, and an educational awareness campaign for the public about maritime regulations.
The Partit Nazzjonalista asks why Transport Malta continues to fail to do its job properly. Why are the authorities turning a blind eye to such a serious situation?
The PN said that it organised a press conference precisely on safety at sea and on the roads last week, but it appears that this message fell on deaf ears. “The truth is that in our country we are facing an administrative crisis, even when it comes to maritime enforcement,” the PN said.
It referred to the RHIBs scandal, €135,000 of taxpayers’ money being spent in a direct order for three boats for the summer, and said that “enforcement is collapsing.”
“Officers have been asked to lie under oath about irregularities within the authorities responsible for safety on the roads and at sea, and internal inquiries that were never published, all pointing to a culture of cover-up and lack of serious leadership,” the PN said.
“Meanwhile, the Police Commissioner has yet to conclude investigations into these failures. The PN and the entire population are still waiting for answers, but the Government’s silence remains deafening,” the party said.
It noted that sea accidents in recent years have more than doubled, from 17 cases in 2022 to 41 in 2024, with the Government only managing to talk and failing to take any action.
“Propaganda alone, like we saw during ‘Safety at Sea Day’, solves nothing. The Government is still failing to take the concrete steps it is duty-bound to take to protect people’s lives. This is not a matter of partisan politics. This is reality,” the party said.
“The Government is exhausted. It has neither direction nor the political will to do what is necessary and what it is obliged to do. This Government has nurtured and entrenched an attitude of “everything goes” on the roads and at sea,” the PN said.
It said that it is time for a new Government, with new energy and real political will: a Government that does its job and protects the lives and safety of people at sea and on the roads before more tragedies occur.
The PN appealed to the government to “start acting seriously” and expressed its solidarity with Regatta clubs and rowers while assuring them that it will continue to put pressure on the government “until it decides to place their safety first.”
The statement was signed by PN MPs Ivan Castillo, David Agius, and Mark Anthony Sammut who are the party’s Shadow Minister for the Maritime Sector, Social Dialogue and the Fight Against Rising Cost of Living, Shadow Minister for European Funds and Sport, and Shadow Minister for Transport and Mobility respectively.