AD hits out at political rivals, ‘arrogant for illegally placing massive billboards’

Alternattiva Demokratika hit out at its political rivals decrying their use of roads and pavements to set up massive billboards.

"The arrogance of the PN and the PL, who have illegally occupied Maltese roads and pavements with massive billboards for the past four and 10 months respectively - including placing some on ramps for disabled people - shows a strong lack of sensitivity towards the needs the citizens," AD spokesman Arnold Casola said.

He noted that parties were allowed to place extra billboards in safe locations on roads only when an election was officially declared. In the meantime only commercial billboards with a MEPA permit could be used.

Addressing a press conference on the need to improve and make roads safer, Cassola said that improved accessibility to Maltese roads for the disabled, the elderly and parents of young children should be the priority.

"Pedestrians' rights are to be safeguarded. As such, more pedestrian zones should be created, especially in commercial areas and in our village and town centres," he said.

Cassola added that the disregard for the needs of the vulnerable was "quite high".  

"The lack of planning with regards to the positioning of street furniture, lamp-posts and signposts is sometimes impressive and this lack of planning is proving to be of real hindrance to the mobility of these categories," he said.

On the other hand, AD's spokesman for infrastructure Ralph Cassar added that urban centres and areas to which people commute to for work needed more investment in mass transportation systems.

"We need public transport that connects all arterial roads which are clogged with traffic, especially in the morning," he said. "The heavy traffic from Bugibba through Mosta, Birkirkara to the University bypass and from Marsa, Marsaskala, Fgura to Paola are especially problematic."

Cassar said the congestion from Rabat to Attard, Msida, Gzira and Sliema showed that there were routes that people used to commute too for work which were not being served well by public transport.

"We need data to establish people's travel patterns. It seems that government takes decisions on bus routes on hunches rather than hard and fast data. Encouraging alternative and new modes of travel in urban areas is also a must."