Crash barrier to stop off-roading in Ħas Saptan valley

The Planning Authority has approved Ambjent Malta’s plan to erect a timber-clad crash barrier and a shallow rubble wall to deter off-roading from the existing public road down into the valley at Ħas Saptan in Birżebbuġa.

The area, designated as a Site of Community Importance and including a Tree Protection Area, is notorious for off-roading bikes that damage the landscape, trample vegetation, and contribute to soil erosion.

Off-roading is defined in law as all forms of driving, manoeuvring, and parking of motor vehicles that are not related to agriculture and take place off public roads. Off-roading activities may only occur in sites licensed as such by the competent authorities. These sites must be clearly marked with the appropriate signage, and there must be clearly defined lanes.

A master plan for the Għar Dalam National Park, issued by Heritage Malta in 2019, listed off-roading as one of the environmental threats facing the area.

The crash barrier, to be erected along Triq Ħas Saptan, will be built using Douglas fir wood to ensure it blends well with the surroundings. The proposed rubble wall will be limited to a height of 60 cm.

In 2021, the PA approved an application to turn a quarry in Aħrax into Malta’s first official track for off-roading hobbyists.

People breaching off-roading regulations are liable to a fine of between €116 and €1,165, which may increase to between €233 and €2,329 for repeat offences.