The English poet, Lord Byron is said to have called Malta the island of yells, bells and smells. Whether he really said this is disputed but if he were alive today and visiting our islands, he would probably come to the same conclusion.
Noise pollution, poor public hygiene, anti-social behaviour, indiscipline and enforcement authorities’ disregard to implement civic regulations are, unfortunately, too evident to ignore.
The surge of tourism numbers in the summer months stretches the chaos tolerance level of most people to breaking point. Still, the urban environment deterioration in its various forms is also attributable to the bad behaviour of some in the local community who do not respect the rules of good civic conduct.
The traffic management system is arguably the most distressing reality that road users must face. With cars on our roads increasing at an alarming rate every day, the indiscipline of many drivers is creating unnecessary risks to other road users.
Traffic congestion and lack of adequate parking spaces, especially on roads with commercial establishments, encourages some drivers to double-park their vehicles, dangerously overtake other cars, or blow their horns out of frustration, much to the annoyance of residents. The absence of traffic police and local law enforcement officials only encourages more abuse by irresponsible drivers.
Noise pollution is another irritant whose effect on people’s health is often underestimated. Deafening petards in the peak of the summer festive season are let off as early as 8am on village feast days.
Restaurants in tourist areas play loud music late at night, in disregard for local regulations. Some churches ring bells and play recorded music every few hours.
Vans selling doughnuts with a loudhailer play a pre-recorded sales pitch and gas delivery trucks honking loudly to announce their presence.
All this is part of the bizarre normality of our urban environment.
No one should feel offended by the country being labelled as noisy with little or no interest in promoting civic behaviour by locals and visitors. A UK tabloid newspaper recently argued that ‘Malta is new Magaluf’ – a Spanish resort renowned for attracting unruly revellers interested in cheap booze and rowdy entertainment.
One young tourist who spoke to the newspaper said: “In Malta, booze is often cheaper than bottles of cold mineral water and it’s not hard to find a ridiculous deal as bars compete to offer the most outrageous drinking games.”
This is not the kind of tourism that the economy and, more important, the majority of citizens want to see growing. The stress on the country’s social fabric is reaching breaking point because of the enforcement authorities’ unwillingness to protect the local community from the consequences of anti-social behaviour and continuous disregard for civic regulations.
The present administration’s mantra to promote continuity of the governance strategies favoured by the Joseph Muscat administration is the wrong choice for the country. Prime Minister Robert Abela must have the courage to change course and promote strategies that protect citizens from the abuse of cowboys who seem to enjoy impunity because of regulators’ unwillingness to implement perfectly sensible civic regulations.
The fear of antagonising small sectors of the electorate by effectively enforcing laws and regulations will only lead to an even shabbier image of Malta and more hardships for most responsible, law-abiding citizens.