Updated August 2 with police response 

A pedestrian bridge in Marsa has become rife with “abuse, dirt, and illegalities,” Nationalist Party MP Darren Carabott has warned.   

The abuse is happening despite the CCTV and warning signs, he said. 

Taking to Facebook, Carabott said he visited the bridge on Monday morning and found syringes and plastic bottles used to inhale drugs.  

The place was vandalised, reeked of foul smells and was full of litter, said Carabott, who was elected on the electoral district that includes Ħamrun and Marsa, said. 

“All this in a residential area, where families with children live, and two minutes away from a church and centre where people gather”.  

The pedestrian overpass, built over the Marsa-Ħamrun bypass, was inaugurated last year and connects the two towns. It cost €3.5 million. 

Carabott said the bridge had become a popular spot for drug users.  

“Why can’t the users, taking drugs in front of cameras, not be identified and receive help, and why can’t traffickers find the heavy hand of enforcement,” Carabott questioned.  

“You know who they are, you know where they are, and you know what time they are there,” he said, referring to the responsible authorities.   

“Besides the photos I took, I received videos showing people taking drugs in public,” the PN MP said.  

Times of Malta was able to see several Tik Tok videos of people gathered under the bridge, seemingly taking drugs.  

Another video showed the pedestrian bridge lifts in a state of disarray, littered with wet cardboard boxes and lighters.   

In response to questions, Infrastructure Malta said the agency “made a number of formal reports in relation to vandalism and misuse of its infrastructure to the relevant authorities for necessary investigation and action”. 

“I underline that Infrastructure Malta is not responsible for enforcement and/or cleansing of public areas,” an Infrastructure Malta spokesperson said.

Police: We patrol 24 hours a day

A police spokesperson said Marsa was intensively patrolled "24 hours a day" by the Rapid Intervention Unit, district police and the Marsa Community Police Team, for crime prevention and also for community engagement.

"Whenever something suspicious is seen by the police while on patrol,  police officers intervene immediately and investigate; or if a report/complaint is made, police go on site and investigate."

Cameras on the bridge were not operated by the police, the spokesperson said. 

Lifts damaged by vandals

Infrastructure Malta also referred to complaints about faulty lifts on several of Malta’s pedestrian overpasses.   

“We are generally disappointed with how our infrastructure is being misused and abused. Our lifts, some more than others, are frequently subject to misuse and outright vandalism. IM is working with other government entities to curb this,” IM had said.  

A parliamentary question, last May, made by Carabott and answered by home affairs minister Byron Camilleri showed that one person was charged in court for vandalising the lift on the Mara-Hamrun bypass. 

Questions were sent to police and the home affairs ministry late Monday morning but are yet to reply.