The head of a club for owners of all-wheel drive vehicles has appealed for specific areas to be designated for their sport, after Times of Malta last week reported that illegal off-roading had caused damage to the slopes around Selmun.
“We are the only hobbyists who cannot wake up on a Sunday morning and say I’m going to have some fun today,” said the president of All Wheel Drive Club Malta, Josef Borg Grech.
Borg Grech said he would not defend what was wrong but could not deny that many had a bias against the sport.
“I will call a spade a spade, I do not agree with what happened in Selmun and leaving the environment like that,” he said.
“However, it often feels there is a national prejudice against us and even minor infractions are over scrutinised and used to tarnish our reputations.”
Off-roading is all but prohibited under the law and limited to sites as indicated by the Traffic Signs and Carriageway Markings Regulations.
However, Borg Grech said there were no specifically designated sites for off-roading and enthusiasts can only enjoy their sport through organised events.
Such events require a permit from the Planning Authority that costs €600 and takes a month to be processed. On top of that, applications need to be submitted by architects, meaning higher costs for event organisers.
In 2010, the government had leased the Malta Motorsport Federation a disused quarry in l-Aħrax, Mellieħa, earmarked for high-impact sport for 49 years.
But despite spending tens of thousands of euros on reports and studies related to the site, in 10 years motorsport clubs have failed to secure the necessary permits.
The club is also being held to account for the illegalities of third parties on the site.
“We are treated badly for wanting an adequate place to practice our sport,” Borg Grech said.
“In the meantime, people dump rubbish in the quarry and we are fined and have to clean up after them. A squatter, who no one wants to help us get rid of, occupies a quarter of our leased land, builds illegal structures and we are the ones hit with the enforcement.”
He said it was a shame that Malta had some excellent competitors who achieved great results but had no adequate grounds for training.
“This is not a club of the elite. Many can’t afford to go off-roading abroad. They cannot escape on fancy boats or a lavish holiday, they just want to be free to practice their sport,” Borg Grech said.
“We all have that one thing that has a special place in our hearts. While every village has its own football pitch, it is not right that we are treated like dirt for asking for a place to practice what we are passionate about.”