Updated | Siggiewi speed camera: Drivers ‘shouldn’t be fined’ if driving up to 66km/h

Siggiewi mayor holds urgent meeting with LESA after motorists driving up to 66km/h are fined • Calls on agency to reimburse drivers who paid their fines

Motorists on the Siggiewi bypass should drive at 60km/h
Motorists on the Siggiewi bypass should drive at 60km/h

Siggiewi mayor Karol Aquilina has held an urgent meeting with the management of the Local Enforcement System Agency (LESA) over speeding tickets issued to motorists driving up to 66km/h on the locality’s bypass.

A recently installed speed camera in Siggiewi has seen drivers being fined for speeding violations despite exceeding the 60km/h by less than 10%. A 10% speed tolerance mechanism would mean that those driving up to 66km/h would not be fined.

LESA yesterday said that the remaining 20 speed cameras on the island allowed speed tolerance, with the exception of the one in Siggiewi.

Motorists have contacted the MaltaToday newsroom complaining of fines on other routes despite exceeding the limit by less than 10%. Motorists would then have to petition the fine.

The Siggiewi mayor has insisted that the council never asked for such a mechanism to be disabled.

Aquilina this morning held a meeting with the local enforcement agency arguing that the speed tolerance is implemented.

“This change should be implemented with immediate effect,” Aquilina said, adding that fines issued to drivers driving up to 66km/h should be withdrawn.

Aquilina said that motorists who have already paid their fines should be reimbursed.

The mayor said LESA will be considering the council’s requests and decide accordingly.

Aquilina explained that during a meeting held in January, LESA officials informed the council that the government had decided to withdraw the ministerial directive which enabled the speed tolerance measure.

The ministerial directive was introduced by former PN transport minister, Austin Gatt.

“I was also informed that there existed no law regulating speed tolerance and the mechanism would be disabled from all speed cameras across Malta and Gozo,” he said.

Aquilina insisted that the local council had never requested for the tolerance mechanism to be disabled: “To the contrary, I asked for it to be applied in Siggiewi as well but I was informed this would not be possible because of the government’s decision.”