Local Wardens and the Government’s easy money

A few years back we experienced the inception of the Local Warden System. A good idea, and something that was needed. Indeed the Maltese drivers were coerced into observing (mostly) no parking zones, which gave the Police Force a greater chance, time and opportunity to concentrate on more important issues.

At long last we could drive through the roads in Valletta and Sliema comfortably, we stopped seeing to our frustration vehicles parked haphazardly on the pavements to the detriment of both drivers and pedestrians.

When almost everybody was parking well, the next coercive action was to make sure that the vehicle licence was affixed to the windscreen.

Finally when everyone was in-line with the above, the in-car use of mobile telephone witch hunt started.

I have always been a supporter of endeavours that make the general public behave civilly in the roads, however although the goals were achieved, the means with which they have been achieved left much to be desired. The offences that the general public is being charged with are petty, and real offenders, some of which are still apparently untouchables are still getting by.

The enforcement of traffic regulations was indeed needed in this country, and, in line with the government’s policy to privatise practically everything, traffic law enforcement was delegated to the private sector. While most European governments are buying back their privatisation assets, the Maltese Government assigned the enforcement of traffic regulations to the private sector. The Local Warden System is essentially a business venture, and we all know that a business venture does not stay operative without making a good profit margin. I’m sure that the Local Warden Companies are not philanthropic!

Obviously the Government takes a share of the fines we pay, together with our Local Councils.

The Local Wardens are the strictest officers we have ever experienced. They are so sharp at spotting offenders, and so quick to issue their fines. Armed with latest technology, they are only very slightly short of the Rangers of the old Wild West.

What is lacking in the system is education. I have yet to encounter a person who was given a warning by a Local Warden without being booked on the spot. True, I admit that the Maltese population only really learn when their pockets are touched, however at this stage the system has degenerated to a pure money making engine. We have heard numerous rumours that Local Wardens operate on quotas, but this is an argument I would not like to get into as I have no proof to support any thesis whether for or against. We need Officers who put the education of the public at the top of their agenda and not booking offenders like a Gatling Gun.

During the implementation of the Local Warden System we faced the classical chicken and egg situation. While parking was mostly disorganised prior to the implementation of the system, the Maltese drivers had no amenities for parking their vehicles. At that time we saw the implementation of new efficient traffic Law Enforcement units guised as Local Wardens, before the public was educated and before Parking Areas were created. This in my opinion was the wrong way of implementing Law Enforcement. The Government should have first provided alternative parking areas, then educated the public and only at the end enforced the law.

Did any Local Tribunal ever show clemency towards a driver during a hearing? I still remember the Court hearings prior to the implementation of the Local Warden System and Local Tribunals. In those days, if you were partially right and gave proof, you were judged accordingly. Why are the Local Tribunals so impartial if money generation was not involved? Some people, who have time to spare, can take a Tribunal ruling to the Court of Appeals and seek justice there. These are the lucky few, the rest of us would rather pay and suffer, than being forced to take days off from our work to follow our rights. It is definitely the feeling of the general public that Local Tribunals act unfairly.

The next road safety implementation to come to existence was the infamous Speed Camera, or Speed Trap. I stand to challenge the effectiveness of these measures to increase road safety. Many people regard them as “traffic calming measures” or as we more commonly call them “sleeping policeman”. The vast majority of these people drive close to the speed of sound right up to the Speed Camera only to brake suddenly a few inches away not to be caught over speeding by this gizmo. I question the safety of these manoeuvres. Then there is the question of tolerances and accuracy. My car’s speedometer has large figures in miles per hour and small figures in kilometres per hour, and I have to strain my eyes to make sure I am within the limit in kilometres per hour. Most speedometers have 5kmph subdivisions, and it is basic metrology that the accuracy of a ruler is plus or minus its lowest subdivision. Therefore in a road with a speed limit of 70kph, fines are only fair if the speed detected exceeds 75kph! Not to mention the accuracy of the Speed Cameras which has for a long time been debated, and I still challenge. Additionally nobody seems to take any notice of our vehicles’ speedometer accuracy. These instruments are no precisions instruments, and definitely not calibrated. Why should we be fined on non-calibrated instrument readings? What tolerances are the agencies governing these speed cameras giving to make up for our in-car possibly erroneous readings? In my physics ‘O’ Level, I was thaught that errors are multiplied throughout a system. Multiplying all the errors outlined above, I would not be surprised that a fair figure for booking a speedster in a 70kph road would be around 80kph or more!

I started this article saying that the Local Wardens gave more room for the Police to follow up the more difficult offences. However I am not observing any change in the bad driving habits of some untouchables. I stand to be corrected, but to my knowledge trucks, buses and commercial vehicles should not exceed 40mph in non urban areas. Also these large vehicles are not supposed to overtake at any rate, and commercial vehicles should not be driven on Sundays and Public Holidays. Every day, when I’m going to work or coming back, I come across large vehicles and buses overtaking me while I’m driving at 40mph, others simply stay in the outer (overtaking) lane of the road at any speed they desire. Buses and trucks are very notorious for their reckless driving, and most of us are forced to stop at a roundabout or junction, even when we have the right of way, if a bus or truck is about to cross our path, otherwise we will get hurt. On Sundays and Public Holidays, I have to endure inhaling the fuming exhausts of commercial vehicles to the detriment of my health.

All these offences seem to remain unseen by the Law Enforcement Officers. If they were given the attention that parking is given, I’m sure we would have observed a result. It so seems that the Government or Governing bodies only have the power over Joe Bloggs, and are only interested at booking him for his minor offence. The Law Enforcement bodies are definitely choosing the easy way, and possibly the one that generates the most cash in the quickest way.