Dangerous pavements
I would like to endorse what Gertrude Abela, John Pace and Emily Barbaro-Sant wrote in this newspaper recently with regard to the danger many pavements in our towns and villages are posing to pedestrians and other users. This fact has been stated repeatedly.
I have complained many times but all the complaints have fallen on deaf ears. On December 13, my sister fell on a pavement in St Mary Street, Mosta and broke her wrist. She is still undergoing therapy to regain the use of her hand. We made a complaint at the local council in January but that pavement remains in a bad state to this day.
Many people and I have complained of the danger these pavements are posing mostly for wheelchair users, people with pushchairs, those using walking sticks and pedestrians in general. This danger is posed by the uneven pavements everywhere, which are for the sole benefit of garage users.
When will pavements be levelled for the benefit of those who use them? There’s so much talk about the rights for us senior citizens. We are constantly urged by the health authorities to exercise for our benefit. I wonder why walking, a healthy exercise which is highly recommended, is being denied to us.
I sympathise with Abela who had to be confined indoors for three weeks. When can we go out to exercise in a relaxed way without fear of tripping and fracturing an arm or a leg or being hurt in another way?
I hope those responsible will listen to our complaints.
Doris Borg – Mosta
Sweden is wrong model to emulate
Jean Karl Soler’s twofold declaration on the Times of Malta (August 18), regarding the ineffectiveness of masks and lockdown, may have been an interesting read but the example relating to Sweden’s successes without closing down, distancing and putting on masks is unfortunate.
If one looks up official COVID-19 sites, (worldometer.com and World Health Organisation) one will find that Sweden rated among the worst hit when compared to northern regions with more than 1,110,147 cases and 14,658 deaths, which equate to 1,486 deaths in every million. At present, there are 16,574 COVID-19 infected persons.
Other comparable northern regions such as Norway, Iceland, the Netherlands and Finland fared much better. All these countries imposed a lockdown, masks and distancing.
Malta, with 35,380 cases and 431 deaths, posted 973 deaths per million, faring as one of the least-affected in the central Mediterranean. Clearly, much better than Sweden!
Thus, Sweden without lockdown and other measures did not fare at all well in the pandemic! Not all Swedes are happy with how the government has handled the COVID-19 situation. Definitely, it is not an example to follow!
Fr Eugene Paul Teuma OFM Conv. – Birkirkara
Urban planning
The letters by Gertrude Abela (August 12) and John Pace (August 17) should be stuck to Ian Borg’s door. There is hardly a single straight or even pavement in this ageing country for wheelchairs or prams.
Who is responsible?
Henry Frendo – Attard
Police inaction
It seems that the police are very quick to bring to justice many petty crimes, however, I have been waiting for over a year now for justice to be delivered in my case.
In May 2020, I was run over by a car while the driver was on the mobile. (police report 8/R/2449/2020).
So far, no police action has been taken in spite of the police commissioner being made aware of it twice.
Maybe there is a saviour applying the brakes to justice.
Victor Farrugia – Attard
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