Valletta’s tiles turn dangerous when wet

Inferior and untested product. One of the first requirements of paths and pedestrian areas is safety, often not a priority in Malta. Who should pay? The person/company/department who signed off on a product that was not fit for purpose? Maybe it was cheaper, or maybe… no, not in Malta. Now we can all sit back and watch nothing being done, or some minor temporary fix which is totally inappropriate. Shameful. Heads must roll. – BJ Simmons

Weren’t the same kind of tiles used in Mosta square recently? – Mats Sundin

Same problem with the new pavements around Mosta square – D. Pace

This flooring did not “polish itself with use” as claimed. It was slippery when wet from day one. The slope in front of the de Valette monument (photo) in particular, is like walking on ice in the rain. Shops there say they’re constantly providing first aid care. As so often happens, the ‘starchitects’ put design before function and failed to test the material properly. In the meantime, the public continues to pay for this botched job, both in terms of health and finances. – Astrid Vella

Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

I was one of the first victims after leaving the social services department, just opposite Teatru Irjal. The shop next to the offices provided me assistance and said there were others before me. I complained with the authorities and the answer was that it was the material chosen by Renzo Piano, so it seemed all was blessed and nothing could be done. After a few months, I saw the pavement was somehow scratched to avoid more accidents. – A. Zammit

Can guarantee that the paving is slippery even when dry. Has been for years now, which is why I personally dread going to Valletta.

Too many areas are simply “dangerous” to walk on. This problem would have been foreseen by anyone even mildly familiar with the already existing stepped streets of Valletta. There has been a disastrous oversight, which is extremely difficult to remedy. So much for the vision of a famed foreign architect. Hype before good governance. – Anthide Agius Muscat

Was slip resistance part of the specifications set in the tender? Has the material been tested before and after installation? Was the material certified to meet the required slip resistant standards? Who signed it off? Has the supplier/contractor been paid for the job and now does not give a damn? Who is liable?

Same applies for works/projects outside Mdina/Saqqajja Hill. It is futile to state that the CMD is now responsible if the raw material was defective in the first place.

On a similar note, but probably different contractor, the polished coloured concrete paving at the new university campus hub is as slippery as possibly can be when wet. This too should be looked into and resolved without further delay. – John Vassallo

We have known since the time of the knights that the Maltese hard stone becomes slippery. That is why they had the professional baqqama. Their job was to chip the paving. We also had lava stone paving in Valletta  but this was stolen or covered by tarmac. – Joe A. Borg

A country led and built by amateurs. An (elite) group, of architects badly plans a surface but a (not-so-elite) group of cleaning and maintenance get the blame and complaints. Typical. – Christopher Richard