As a proud resident of Qormi, I feel compelled to address a topic that is both frustrating and long overdue for discussion.
Let me be clear from the outset: this is not about politics. I am not interested in shifting blame or endorsing one party over another. My concern is for the daily experiences of the people of Qormi, and I write this not for political reasons but because we, as residents, have suffered enough. This roundabout problem is not a Qormi issue but a national one.
For years, Qormi has been treated as an afterthought in the grand scheme of Malta’s infrastructure development. Our politicians either don’t know how many of us are struggling with traffic or, if they do, they’re too busy focusing on other priorities rather than addressing our needs.
Take Triq San Bastjan and Triq San Edwardu, for example. These roads have been in desperate need of proper resurfacing for years. But, as usual, Qormi is last in line for attention. Our transport infrastructure has become a joke and it’s the residents who are paying the price every day.
The Tas-Srieken roundabout, or, as some now call it, L-Imgħallaq, has become a symbol of the incompetence and neglect we’ve endured. Transport Malta employees should be present there all day to manage the chaos that unfolds at this junction. It has turned into a melting pot of road rage, frustration and even collisions. Tempers flare, drivers argue and the contempt for our transport system is palpable. Yet, no one in charge seems to care.
Then, there’s the Enemalta project. We endured months of inconvenience and, when people rightly complained, the transport minister had the audacity to claim this project would ease traffic. Honestly, it would have been better if he had said nothing at all. The reality is clear to anyone who drives through the area: traffic from Marsa now pours in from one side, only to meet a flood of vehicles coming up from the Pavi area.
If the minister thinks that’s a solution, I like to invite him to come down to Qormi and see the chaos for himself. Even someone with no understanding of traffic management could tell you this set-up is far from sorted.
What makes it worse is the fact that Qormi residents were promised something better – a proper underpass, for example. But, instead of solutions, we’re left with the same old problems.
When will our politicians start valuing the daily lives of drivers in Qormi? When will they prioritise this community the same way they do others?
Another critical issue is the heavy traffic that should never have been routed through Triq l-Imdina, instead pooling the traffic to Triq �użé Duca, which is wide enough that it is turning to a free mini racing track at night.
The constant flow of heavy vehicles through this business-oriented area has choked local businesses and driven residents out of their homes due to the overwhelming exhaust fumes and noise pollution.
Triq l-Imdina was never designed to bear this massive traffic and, now, like much of Qormi, it is struggling under the weight of mismanagement.
This lack of transport planning isn’t a new problem either. It’s been going on for the last 65 years.
Ambulances, traffic police and fire engines blare their horns long before they even reach the roundabout, as if expecting drivers to perform miracles. It’s as if no one in charge ever stopped to think how this impacts not just the drivers’ but the entire community’s well-being.
It has turned into a melting pot of road rage, frustration and even collisions- George Farrugia
Not to mention the 80-year-old drainage system in Triq l-Imdina. I wish any person from Water Services Corporation ‘waste’ section could convince me that it is adequate for 2024 – let’s wait for the heavy rains.
As if the logistical nightmares weren’t enough, we now face a bizarre and degrading naming issue with the roundabout itself. For nearly 50 years, it was called Tas-Srieken, named after the Farrugia Works. When the Farrugia Works retired, the new landmark was then referred to as L-Imgħallaq, which is a morbid, shameful brand for a public place.
The sculpture, made by my late artist friend Anton Agius, was never meant to be an erect corpse – Anton never meant to make a standing corpse. No sensible artist would do such a silly thing. But when the monument was being mounted, some person of authority preferred to have the monument standing to accommodate a list of soldiers’ names at the side, disturbing the originality and function of the intended original monument.
In 2019, I tried to take part with my sculpture, Unite, in Art in Public Spaces, called on by the ministry of public transport and supported by Spazju Kreattiv.
My sculpture was endorsed by the then Qormi mayor, Jesmond Aquilina but the whole idea was scrapped. My own attempt to rectify this was rejected.
I had applied to install my sculpture, Unite, in the centre of the roundabout, hoping to bring a sense of dignity and unity to this embattled space. But my proposal was turned down by the judges who decided it wasn’t ‘fit’.
I can’t help but wonder, what exactly is ‘fit’ in the minds of those making these decisions? This same sculpture was one of the first six from the 25 selected from over 700 international artworks presented in the competition PitturiAmo held earlier this year in Paris.
And I share Neil Agius’s thought in saying that his achievement was mainly aimed to represent Malta beyond our shores, more than his – same intention as mine.
Qormi deserves better than this. We are not asking for miracles; just basic respect for our community, our roads and our well-being.
It’s time for those in power to wake up and realise that we are extremely fed up of being ignored. Let’s fix the chaos at Tas-Srieken roundabout, restore dignity to our town and, ultimately, give Qormi the attention it has been denied for far too long.
It is a pity that local councils are seeing the dismantling of their powers, which could have been very useful for their localities.
George Farrugia is an artist, art teacher, entrepreneur and influencer.