Continuous rainfall over the past few days has left its mark on many roads in the form of potholes of varying depth and size, which, being filled with water, caught up many drivers unawares, resulting in many a flat tyre.
A spokesman for St Mary's Garage of Msida said that more people than normal sought their services due to accidents that occurred between Saturday and New Year's Day which mainly left bent rims and burst tyres.
Toni Agius of AA Tyre Services of Sta Venera said many people went to the garage with damaged tyres. Although more clients than normal were expected - as was usual following a public holiday - the outlet never expected the amount of clients that actually turned up.
The owner of a Lija garage agreed and described the situation as a disaster. "Although it has brought good business for us, you really feel for certain people who come with dented rims and new tyres which they have torn in potholes."
The owner of Swift Tyre Service of Gzira did not see any more business than is usual on a day following a public holiday. "We are always somewhat busier after a holiday and today was no different," he said when contacted yesterday.
However, it was not just tyres and rims that fell victims to the potholes.
Mechanic Ralph Cordina had a case of a client whose car stalled because the sudden shudder caused by a major pothole triggered the car's inertia switch and stopped it. Although all that needed to be done in such a case was to return the switch to its normal position, a lot of motorists did not know about the switch or where to find it. Potholes also damage shock absorbers, somtimes damaging the car's bonnet, bend suspension arms, crack windscreens, ruin the steering rack or crush the bottom of the car, among other things.
A spokesman for the Roads Ministry said the Malta Transport Authority had commissioned a contractor to urgently repair the roads damaged as a result of the bad weather.
The spokesman said that, as a result of the continuous rainfall, particularly on the weekend and on the last day of the year, the ADT, in collaboration with the Civil Protection Department and the police, gave the roads temporary maintenance with instant repair mix asphalt.
Workers worked in the rain to carry out the necessary repairs and avoid dangers. The ADT also had an architect on call in case of emergencies.
The ministry said the ADT's maintenance unit and ministry officials were touring the affected roads and monitoring the situation to ensure that the necessary permanent maintenance was carried out on roads that were the responsibility of the ADT, reducing the inconvenience to motorists as soon as possible.
The ministry said damages could be reported to the ADT on freephone 8007 2393.
Workers employed by the Ministry for Gozo also took to the streets in the first working hours of the new year to repair road surfaces, boundary walls and other road infrastructure around the island following damage caused by the storm that hit during the weekend and the last days of 2007.
Various rubble walls had to be rebuilt, including walls aligning the road leading to the Xewkija industrial estate, and heavy machinery was used to clear streets from obtrusive rubble such as in Triq is-Sajjied, Marsalforn.