Trucks parked along the street adjacent to the db Group Pembroke project site has sparked a flood of complaints to the mayor.
Tipper trucks are being parked facing the wrong way, on pavements, on double yellow lines, bus stops and “at every corner” at all times of the day, Pembroke mayor Dean Hili said in an e-mail sent to government authorities and entities.
In his e-mail sent to Transport Malta, LESA, the police, the cleansing department, and the Building and Construction Authority, Hili chastised the authorities for failing to do their job.
“I find it hard to understand how gross daily shortcomings remain unaddressed,” he said.
The authorities, he charged, were abdicating from their duties and would be responsible if an incident occurs because of the trucks blocking the roads.
“Is it possible that the residents of the locality can see the large number of trucks gathered around the site... and the authorities cannot,” he asked.
The trucks are lining up to remove construction rubble while the contractors excavate the area to pave the way for the City Centre towers on the site of the former ITS premises.
Excavation would likely cause inconvenience, but it should not be a “free-for-all without control or any organisation at all”, Hili said, adding that residents should not expect to suffer this inconvenience daily.
Hili acknowledged that the dust from the site was reduced recently thanks to a mechanical sweeper that services the area twice daily, but said the contractor is obliged to wash the vehicles before leaving the site.
Responding to questions, a spokesperson for db Group said the company is taking all the precautions and offering all the remedies available to minimise the inconvenience caused by the dust.
To alleviate the problem, from Friday, trucks were being shifted to a site next to the Luxol park-and-ride facility, adding that the group is working “closely and regularly” with the Pembroke council.
Various mechanised cleaning measures are being implemented by db Group and the government’s Cleansing and Maintenance Division to minimise the spread of dust and maximise the efficiency of its removal, the spokesperson said.
Two full-time employees have been engaged to clean the site daily, he said.
ERA, LESA and BCA all visited the site on Friday and “each and every instance of inconvenience was rectified”, the spokesperson said,
“In a tiny country like ours with such a high population density, even the smallest development causes a degree of inconvenience. We at the db Group are proud of the fact that we are doing our utmost to apply all the mitigation measures to their full effect,” said the spokesperson.
“In agreement with them (the council), as of today (Friday), we have instructed the majority of truck drivers meant to remove materials, dust and rubble to park next to Luxol’s park-and-ride.
“They then wait for instructions to enter the site, do their job and leave. In this way, the trucks do not need to park on the site, except to load up,” the spokesperson said.
Asked about moving trucks to the site near the park-and-ride facility, Hili described it as a “step in the right direction”.
“The fact that they have agreed with our suggestion is positive as it most definitely alleviates some of the pressures and dangers seen daily.”
The db Group’s Pembroke project, which includes the construction of three towers rising at 17, 16 and 12 floors, has faced objections from activists and Pembroke residents.