Look seaward to solve the traffic situation

It seems the Malta Transport Authority has either some incompetent people or else they are so conceited that they do not care to read suggestions made by experienced people. They completely miss the idea of making use of water transport coupled with minibuses and lifts.

When I was a youngster, people from the harbour area of Kalkara, Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua, as well as Sliema and Gzira, used to travel to Valletta and Floriana by means of a ferry boat.

Modern ferry boats manned by only one or two people, like those existing in Barcelona, should be utilised instead of old decrepit boats which are expensive to run and unreliable. To encourage people to use ferries there should be two tier fares during early working hours and another fare for tourists and pleasure times.

The bus terminus area between Floriana and Valletta is a disgrace, an organised disorganisation.

If enforcement is not seriously taken up by the police, traffic laws will serve no useful purposes. Floriana's St Anne Street is a race track and bookings are rarely made. Public transport should be less confusing and more disciplined.

Very small roundabouts in sensitive, traffic congested areas should be used. For example, we need one at Crucifix junction from the sea terminal to Capuchin Street, while road markings should be continuously made by using better lasting paint materials and not done only when some VIP visits Malta.

Garages should be registered as many people just paint "Garage: No Parking" on doors of stores and houses. Moreover, the keep clear sign should only be the width of the garage door. If the garage is not in use permanently, the permit should be withdrawn.

With 260,000 cars on the road, Malta should do like Singapore - not allowing cars with the driver only during rush hours. This will halve the number of cars on the road. In the US, one cannot use certain lanes if he/she is the only driver.

I have been writing on the points system for several years but again there is an ever careless attitude despite about 40 accidents per day, some of which are fatal or involve injuries for life, yet the authorities take a near careless attitude to accidents. They just attribute the accident to "lost control", instead of the true reason - overspeeding - and innocent people continue to suffer accidents daily through the bravado of overspeeding drivers.

In Italy, since the points system was introduced, accidents have decreased by almost 50 per cent.

As some 4,000 persons use their car to go to work in Floriana, and the same applies to most of the 20,000 people who flock to get served in government departments, the polyclinic, hospitals, etc., car owners living in Floriana cannot ever find parking space, so it is essential to have some resident parking areas for locals as is the case in other districts.

Transport Minister Censu Galea was reported saying that a points system would be introduced towards the end of the year but only for new drivers. As if 200,000 existing drivers do not need this system to stem the fatal accidents and thousand others which injure people for life.

Mr Bonello is a Floriana councillor.