Motorists rushing to rejoice at the prospect of Malta’s roads no longer having speed cameras will be disappointed to learn that the removal of a number of these devices is only temporary.

In recent days, drivers have reported that cameras in various areas, including Birkirkara, Żebbuġ and Mrieħel, appeared to have disappeared. Instead, poles with no cameras attached to them were seen at the various spots synonymous with speeding.

While their absence might have been welcomed by speed lovers, a spokesman for G4S, the company that provides the authorities with the cameras, assured The Sunday Times of Malta the number of devices on the island’s roads would remain unchanged.

“I can confirm that there are absolutely no plans to remove any of the existing 21 street cameras,” he said.

So why are the cameras disappearing off the roads?

According to EU standards, full maintenance has to be carried out on the cameras every three years. They must also be calibrated every two years.

Also, the speed camera on the Birkirkara bypass had to be disconnected twice in the span of just a few weeks – first to repair a fault it had developed and the second time following a traffic incident.

“After taking stock of the situation, we decided to move the camera at Mdina Road in Żebbuġ to the Birkirkara bypass,” the spokesman said.

A new camera on the Żebbuġ road will be up and running by the end of the month, he said. As for the missing device in Mrieħel, the spokesman said works on “connectivity” were being carried out and the camera would be back up “in days”.

“The cameras are clearly still serving as a deterrent, which is ultimately the whole point of having them on our roads. While G4S cannot speak for either Transport Malta or LESA, I can assure you that there has not been any change in strategy.”

First installed over a decade ago, Malta’s 21 cameras have speed limits that vary from 50 kilometres per hour to 80, the top limit.

Speeding remains the number one killer on Malta’s roads, with the police also deploying speed guns in recent years to bolster the deterrent.

More than 70,000 speeding fines are dished out in a year, according to latest figures. The 50km-limit speed camera in Nutar Żarb Street in Attard is notorious for catching drivers off guard, flashing more than 13,000 of those fines.