Mosta mayor calls on Gonzi to implement roads programme five years after it was promised

He was addressing one of a series of PL press conferences highlighting the lack of progress on the roads programme promised before the 2008 General Election by former Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett.

Chetcuti Caruana explained how out of 20 roads promised before the March 2008 general election, only sixteen were done by the Nationalist Government.

He lamented how one of the roads completed by the Nationalist Government in Mosta was completed “ta’ nofs kedda” (“shoddily”).

That meant that there were still 20% of roads under the 2008 programme still to be completed, the Mosta mayor explained

He complained that the Central Government devoted only €70,000 for roads in Mosta this year. “I could only surface a 40-metre road with these funds," the Mosta mayor said.

Chetcuti Caruana explained 60% of the 160 roads in Mosta were in the responsibility of the Central Government since they were above the 60% threshold for road quality.

The roads that fall under the responsibility of the Local Government are below the 60% threshold.

“This situation is causing a lot of inconveniences to residents with dust in Summer and mud in winter. This is also causing a lot of inconveniences to motorists who pass through these roads,” Chetcuti Caruana lamented. “This looks like the Far West!,” he said in his indefatigable style.

He revealed that the Mosta Local Council was receiving frequent claims of damages from irate motorists who would have passed from these shoddy roads.

Msida Mayor Clifton Grima revealed that out of 6 roads promised by the Nationalist Government in the 2006-2008 ADT programme, only two have been done by the Government.

Journalists this time were shown one of the four roads in Msida that still had to be completed by the Nationalist Government. The slight wind during the press conference exacerbated the plight of journalists with a slight wind.

He explained how another road was made by the local council itself, thus leaving another four roads that still need to be completed by the Government: Balliju ta’ Gutenberg Road, Santa Venera Lane, Kunżar Street (part of) and Casolani Lane.

Grima lamented how this unbearable situation was causing unbearable problems to residents, with dust in summer and mud in winter, besides problems for motorists.

He explained how 150,000 residents had paid their road contributions for these roads and were now expecting the Nationalist Government to deliver on its electoral promises.

On his part, Labour’s main spokesperson for Local Councils Stefan Buontempo explained how in 2006 the ADT had sent a glossy publication to all households announcing the programme of residential roads that would be completed for 2006-2008.

Moreover, the Nationalist Government had put this promise in the 8 March 2008 General Election programme.

Buontempo revealed that in the 2008 Budget Speech, the Government had promised that the roads would have been concluded by 2008, however this promise has not been kept two years later.

Buontempo also revealed how 65% of the roads programme had been implemented in PN-led Local Councils against an implementation rate of 45% in Labour-led Local Councils.

“We do not agree with this discrimination even on something such as basic as roads,” he concluded.