One year on, Valletta’s smashed red phone box remains in pieces
Ministry turns to UK restorers after no local contractors express interest in job
Almost one year after a British-era red telephone box was accidentally demolished by a delivery truck in Valletta, the structure remains unrestored and the government has confirmed that no Maltese contractor has been able to take on the job.
The phone box, a familiar fixture on Merchants Street, was hit and destroyed by a reversing truck in late June 2024.
Culture Minister Owen Bonnici announced soon after the accident that the Works Department had been tasked with collecting the pieces, with plans to reconstruct and restore the structure under the supervision of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage.
But, one year on, the restoration is still incomplete.
In a statement, the culture ministry revealed that no Maltese supplier was able to restore the telephone box.
“The Department of Restoration and Preservation, in collaboration with the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, explored the possibility of sourcing restoration work locally for the telephone box in question,” the ministry said. “However, no local contractors expressed interest or confirmed the availability of the unique materials required.”
The remaining parts of the historic structure are now being handled by a specialist in the UK.
“As a result, UK suppliers are now being directly engaged to assess, source and install the necessary components,” the ministry said.
Although the ministry was asked to provide a target date for completion, no timeline has been given.
It insisted, however, that “the ministry remains committed to restoring cultural heritage faithfully and in line with the original design”.
Some of the red phone boxes are owned by the government and the rest by GO plc, the communications company.
Malta’s red phone boxes were granted Grade 2 protection in 2001, and the government announced plans in 2018 to restore the 11 examples found in Valletta, mainly in Republic Street and Merchants Street.
The boxes were originally designed by Sir Gilbert Scott in 1935 to mark the Silver Jubilee of King George V. Two main types exist: the Mark 1, produced between 1936 and 1952, and the Mark 2, introduced in 1952 after Queen Elizabeth II adopted a new rendition of the crown.