On the dot...

The lady who is usually so quick to defend anything the Malta Transport Authority does should publicly apologise for the ADT's decision to keep the Valletta waterfront road closed during carnival. The result was/is there for all to see. The new chairman has had a very funny start indeed.

Step Ladder

The pavement in St Christopher Street, Valletta, particularly in the stretches between Republic Street and Strait Street, and Mediterranean Street and Saint Ursula Street, are in a bad state of repair. Some of the slabs have worn loose and some of the basement grating slats are wobbly. Particularly in the latter case, people just cannot take to the street because parking and traffic make this very dangerous.

Sound Bites

Was the television footage and newspaper reportage of the long queues awaiting registration for the new budget-priced Microsoft package in Malta and Gozo, actually party of a well-orchestrated publicity stunt? One would have thought that people could have ordered them from the offices of their local councils or police stations or area offices of the Department of Social Security, just as easily as staff ordered them from the schools in which they work.

Picture Imperfect

A scam wherein people employed in a particular Italian airport were making easy with travellers' luggage was brought to light when the management installed cameras unbeknown to those doing the pilfering. One wonders if such equipment is operated at MIA. Alas certain letters appearing in the press seem to indicate otherwise.

Flying High

The Malta International Airport has always had a policy - with one notable exception - of supporting local culture and talent. One hopes that following the exhibition of paintings by Luciano Micallef, another which would contain solely pictures of artists, perhaps commencing with those who have placed well in local competitions, would be held, to give those who are not "names" at least one chance of exposure to an international audience.

Kept Posted

Despite the proliferation of electronic mail facilities, many thousands of people still use the service provided by Maltapost. Therefore, the good news is that tentative approaches are being made by the relevant parties with a view to introducing facilities for recycling envelopes, within certain stipulated criteria, for local mail at least.

Dig That!

The work on the services trench for the Mriehel HSBC headquarters is finally under way. Canon Road, therefore, is once again the setting for dirt, noise and disruption as well as a traffic jam or two when there is no warden around to direct traffic. If work were to go on for longer shifts, with less time spent on site by people not wearing regulation safety gear, no doubt it would be finished sooner.

Dotted Lines

Last Tuesday evening, parents trying to log on to the recently-launched website promoting parental participation in education were sorely disappointed because the message "page not found" kept coming up instead. The site was advertised as being interactive, facilitating learning about early literacy, and as such one could have connected with the local co-ordinator as well as co-participants from Hungary, Italy and Greece. One must not take it for granted that parents have access to the internet all day, every day.

Flight Path

Minister Censu Galea was quoted as saying that a Lm50 fare for the Gozo helicopter service was in the region of what one would have to pay for a trip on a Gozo Channel craft, added to the taxi fare. This is neither here nor there; a taxi takes one to one's ultimate destination but a helicopter stops at the heliport. And besides, Maltese people rarely hire a taxi when they get to Gozo.

Crash Barrier

Parking is at a premium in Hamrun and in parts of Saint Joseph High Road it is not unusual for vehicles to be on either side of the road, albeit for a short time while their owners run errands. But this creates a dreadful bottleneck whenever an accident occurs; especially as happened last Tuesday, when a car collided with a bus in the afternoon rush hour.

Nelson's Eye

Why does the Police Commissioner, the Malta Transport Authority or whoever continue to ignore repeated calls for order to prevail in the Mriehel Bypass where a number of outlets are concentrated? Is this how standards are raised, by turning a Nelson's eye?

Life Skills

What happens when an organisation based on voluntary work offers to help victims of crime? Probably, the nub of the matter is the providing of counselling and support services. But no doubt, what some victims would really like, and indeed what they deserve, is a bit of ready cash towards reprieving their previous quality of life tangibly as well as emotionally. Who knows, perhaps, if this is somehow not already being done, the day will come when the perpetrators will work for wages, a part of which will be automatically given to those whom they have hurt.

Plate Glass

Reports of pirate goods found on stalls in one flea market or another appear in the media every so often. But it is widely known that most flea markets are suffused with this type of ware and, indeed, some video rental outlets hire out films that are clearly labelled "not for commercial use". Anyone who is hauled over the coals must, therefore, be truly unlucky.

Bus Cruising

It is not unusual for commuters to board a bus just minutes before its scheduled departure time but the driver is nowhere to be seen. He appears just seconds before driving off, sits down in his cabin an expects all passengers to rise and go to him to buy their tickets. How's that for customer service? We raise fares first and see about the service later!