Eleven vehicles built specifically to clean densely populated towns have been deployed to clean streets in St Julian’s and Sliema.

Robot sweepers and scrubbers, a refuse collection vehicle, a street washer, a compact sweeper, four pedestrian sweepers, a city sweeper and crew cab tipper vans will be cleaning the stretch of road Manoel Island all the way to Paceville. 

“People sometimes think that we do not give these localities any particular attention, but those who work closely with us know that we dedicate a lot of resources to the area," Director General of the Cleansing and Maintenance Department Ramon Deguara said on Friday.  

"These vehicles will complement our work and increase our efficiency and productivity," he said. 

He said the cleansing vehicles together cost €1.3 million.  

The department will procure additional cleansing vehicles for the area - including vans that collect garbage that is illegally dumped outdoors on the wrong days - by June, Deguara added. 

St Julian’s, Sliema, and Gzira are rubbish hotspots: the seaside towns are among Malta’s most crowded and are also a mecca for tourists, with many apartments rented out to visitors.

Tourism minister Clayton Bartolo said the new equipment will not only improve the area for tourists but will also improve the quality of life of residents.  

Public cleanliness junior minister Glenn Bedingfield said PL's electoral manifesto had promised maintenance and cleansing plans for touristic areas.