More than 1,200 road signs, bus stops and other street furniture have been replaced so far this year, “the majority” of them being destroyed by motorists, the Times of Malta has learnt.

Figures obtained from the Transport Ministry show that 1,244 street furniture items had to be replaced in the first eight months of this year after they were irreparably damaged. Transport Minister Joe Mizzi said the damage was mainly caused by motorists who were either driving under the influence of alcohol or while using mobile phones.

“We are incurring a huge expense replacing basic infrastructure every week after it is destroyed by careless and sometimes dangerous drivers,” he said, adding this was most common on weekends.

Mr Mizzi noted there were cases of vandalism, items being damaged during construction works or simply weathered.

“In some cases, we have even had to replace items that had just been installed a few weeks earlier,” he said.

The cost of the damage had still to be worked out by the different entities involved. However, Mr Mizzi said the bill would surely run into several thousands of euros.

Earlier this summer, Peter Paul Coleiro, senior operations manager at the Civil Protection Department, had told the Times of Malta the four main causes of road traffic accidents were driving under the influence of alcohol, using mobile phones while driving, excessive speed or overconfidence and road conditions. Several accidents, he pointed out, were also resulting in damage to public and private property.

The most common items having been replaced so far this year were traffic signs, with 325 being damaged in the past few months.

About 230 stretches of walls lining streets were replaced and 100 railings and barriers had to be changed after sustaining damage.

Figures for the previous years were not immediately available but Transport Malta said the amount of furniture items being replaced had shown a significant spike in the past two years.

The damage to street equipment was spread fairly evenly across the island, with the most, 353 units this year, in the central region. The south saw 324 replacements and the north had the least, 259 street furniture items having been replaced.

Patching things up

Road repairs to fix potholes are another major expense for the transport authorities.

Temporary fixes to the island’s bumpy road surfaces were topped up about 260 times this year.

Transport Minister Joe Mizzi said the government had recently reviewed the method used to fill potholes because the need to constantly relay damaged patches was draining infrastructure funds. He said the government had introduced a hot asphalt system in May that was yielding results.

This, he added, did not cost a lot more and avoided having to relay patches which had only been just been filed.
“The old system of patching using cold asphalt was simply not keeping up with the pressure of daily use. We were having to patch up the same potholes every couple of months,” he said.