In a democracy, citizens understand that for the state to provide them with the minimum public services they need, they must contribute to financing these services. In turn, they expect the best value for the money they pay in taxes.
Unfortunately, this is often just an aspiration, as the standards of public services are frequently too low and fail to convince ordinary people that the central and local government are fulfilling their duty of care to the community.
A San Ġwann resident wanted to express his anger about the neglect of road maintenance in his town by spray-painting phallic images on potholes in Bellavista Road. This unconventional protest sparked an immediate response from the San Gwann local council and Infrastructure Malta. The ‘hazardous’ potholes were filled with asphalt soon after.
Why do those in central and local government responsible for ensuring that our streets and pavements are safe for users have to wait for the expression of righteous anger by aggrieved citizens to act? People have every right to express their anger constructively when they perceive a violation of moral principles or witness an injustice.
Poorly maintained roads and pavements are common in most of our towns and villages. They are not just minor cosmetic annoyances. They pose serious risks with far-reaching consequences. They can cause significant vehicle damage, endanger drivers and pedestrians, and contribute to broader economic and infrastructural problems.
Unfortunately, pothole repairs that are ignored by those responsible for ensuring that our roads are always safe are not the only risks that people have to manage daily.
The list is endless. For instance, the encroachment of public pavements by catering businesses is tolerated by the authorities and often formally sanctioned by the Lands Department, which issues licences for some enterprises to obstruct pavements with street furniture.
Why must we endure festa decorations carelessly encroaching on our pavements throughout the summer season?
The public cleansing system is also falling short of the level of service that citizens rightly expect from those public officials paid by taxpayers to keep our streets clean and free of health hazards.
A change in the mindset of policymakers is needed to ensure that ordinary people are not shortchanged by those who must ensure that public services meet the reasonable standards that we all expect. We must no longer be forced to accept mediocrity in delivering public service as the norm.
In the last several years, local councils have been deprived of some of the essential public service functions for their community.
The public cleansing services are one such example. The collection of waste bags remains inefficient as they are frequently poorly timed, leaving many streets littered with garbage bags for long hours. The stress and anxiety that ineffective and sub-standard management of public services is causing to many citizens is a betrayal of the trust we place in the people we elect to serve us at the central and local government levels.
While the traffic chaos on our arterial roads remains a significant problem for all road users, the poor road conditions in the cores of our towns and villages are an equally serious threat to the well-being of residents. Too often drivers slow down or swerve to avoid potholes, disrupting traffic flow and leading to increased congestion and delays.
People have every right to express their righteous anger when their interests are ignored. We all have a right to expect that our communities are safeguarded from avoidable risks in public places.