A promised Transport Safety Investigative Commission whose setting up was promised in December 2022 has still not materialised, the Doctors for Road Safety said on Tuesday.

The NGO noted the recent 'horrific' crashes and expressed condolences to the victims.

The promised commission, it said, was essential to investigate such crashes and bring about changes to prevent their reoccurrence.

The setting up of the commission, it recalled, was promised following the first National Road Safety Conference it organised in 2022.

"This lethargy is symptomatic of road safety not being given its urgent due priority by policymakers in this country."

The NGO urged road users to be cautious and attentive on the roads, especially during the festive season.

Last September, the Insurance Association of Malta also expressed concern about the delayed Transport Safety Investigation Commission and the Road Safety Bureau that was to be part of it. 

Currently, magisterial inquiries and police investigations are the only methods of investigating road accidents in Malta. These inquiries determine civil or criminal liabilities, and their conclusions generally remain confidential.

Times of Malta had reported that the bureau was delayed by the judiciary’s hesitancy to share the contents of magisterial inquiries owing to the confidentiality of investigations and the privacy of those involved. 

In April, Times of Malta also reported that the existing Road Safety Council, which brings together road safety stakeholders, had not met since appointing a new chairman five months previously.