'Tourists' vandalise new bus shelter

A newly installed bus shelter in Cirkewwa was badly vandalised by "tourists" in broad daylight, the company responsible for the upkeep of such facilities said.

Attributing the information to residents living close the area, Faces Displays Ltd, which is responsible for the design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of all bus shelters in Malta, said the vandalism occurred two Sundays ago.

Since the beginning of 2003, over 200 newly installed shelters were vandalised and its maintenance team replaced glass and other damaged parts within an average period of three working days from when the damage is reported, the company said.

The majority of the shelters are well lit in an effort to discourage vandalism and in order to offer more safety to commuters. Most of the vandalism is done over the weekends at night and certain areas are targeted on a regular basis, Faces Displays said. It encouraged the public to report such incidents to the police or directly to it on 2124 9585.

The bus shelters project is funded though advertising revenue without any cost to the taxpayers. The total cost will stand at Lm2 million spread over 10 years, the company said.