Motorists’ reactions to Swieqi accident point finger at negligent roadworks

Concerns on the roadworks being carried our on a Pembroke thoroughfare that was the scene of an accident at St Andrew’s were highlighted numerous times by commentors on a Facebook post by the independent politician Arnold Cassola.

Cassola has submitted an affidavit to the police commissioner, requesting that an inquiring magistrate hold responsible the people managing the roadworks for the negligence that led to the accident.

A 76-year-old woman of Swieqi was fighting for her life after being involved in a traffic accident on Triq Sant’Andrija in a collision between two cars, a Fiat 500 driven by a 30-year-old woman of Żurrieq, and a Toyota Vitz being driven by a 70-year-old man of Pietà. A Swieqi man, 31, was a passenger in the first car while in the second car were two women from Xgħajra, 73, and Swieqi, 76. The two drivers and the Toyota passengers were rushed to hospital in an ambulance. The elderly woman was seriously injured while the two drivers and the other passenger escaped with slight injuries.

In screenshots of his Facebook post submitted by Cassola, commenters remarked on the gravity of the roadworks and the lack of signage.

“By law the speed limit where the are works is 30km/h, but this is never observed, not even by the police themselves…”; It was only a matter of time for this accident to happen - traffic heading from Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq should have been diverted to Pembroke, while the cars from St Andrew’s going to St Paul’s Bay should only ahve been allowed to pass through that road until the works are finished”; “An accident waiting to happen and this is not the only spot. These roads-in-the-making are death traps.”

Prof. Cassola stated in his affidavit that the 3 January accident was the result of negligence from lack of adequate signage on the road.

“The roadworks have been going on for months. The road has now been narrowed to two lanes without guidance signage for motorists driving from Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, towards the Luxol grounds. Such motorists literally do not know what they have to do when suddenly they find themselves on the ‘wrong side’ of the road as they drive towards the Luxol grounds. This was my experience on 31 December 2020 - ther ewas not one sign to warn me that the lane I am driving on has suddenly become the opposite lane.”

Cassola said that at this juncture in the road, motorists suddenly find themselves facing cars coming at them from the opposite side. “I am ready to supply the names of people who have been involved in this traumatic experience.

“The authorities should hold responsible whoever endangered people’s lives. If these works are under the aegis of Infrastructure Malta then it should be held responsible.”