Yet another call has been made to introduce traffic-calming measures along the road from Victoria to Mġarr in Gozo, after a car overturned there at the weekend.

No one was injured in the accident but it has served as a reminder of the need to combat speeding in what has become an accident black spot over the years.

 “It is unacceptable that nothing has been done yet to address the situation,” Għajnsielem mayor Kevin Cauchi told Times of Malta.

“There are many factors at play. People using the road are either in a hurry to catch the ferry or they are tired after a day at work and eager to get home early. This is also a residential area which means you get people parking and driving out of side roads.” 

The road needs traffic calming measures to encourage speed reduction, he contended.

An accident on the road in 2018

“These measures could include better street signage, electronic speed signs, raised humps and bollards to avoid overtaking – one of the main causes of accidents. We also need a bigger police and warden presence.”

The road has seen several serious accidents over the years. Information given in Parliament shows that between 2013 and the end of March this year, there was one fatality and 84 injuries.

On Saturday morning, the car overturned close to the Chapel of Our Lady of Mercy at 3pm, with no injuries reported. 

However, last August the road claimed the life of Ivy Evison, a 41-year-old Latvian woman, in an accident in which seven other people, including three children, suffered serious injuries. Another person sustained slight injuries. 

Between 2013 and the end of March this year, there was one fatality and 84 injuries

A week later a motorcycle driver was grievously hurt when he was hit head-on by a car that was being driven the wrong way.

Following that spate of accidents in August, Gozo Minister Justyne Caruana said Transport Malta had approved a new road traffic management plan for the road. 

The Gozo Ministry said its remit focused on Gozo affairs but it said it was extremely concerned about the number of accidents on the road. 

The ministry has started discussions with Transport Malta to draw up a traffic management plan which is already being implemented in phases. The plan includes diverse measures including traffic calming measures to ensure speed reduction in critical zones.

Ivy Evison, 41, died in August after she was involved in a car crash on Mġarr Road.

The problem has been dragging on for years. 

Back in 2009, Times of Malta had reported Għajnsielem residents urging the authorities to instal a speed camera along Mġarr Road.

That year a German woman, Silvia Kluge, 54, had been killed when she was hit by a car while crossing the road. 

The Għajnsielem local council had applied for a speed camera a year earlier. However, there are none installed in the locality, the mayor confirmed.