PN slams government ‘incompetence’ as newly surfaced roads are dug up again

The PN has slammed the government for inadequately planning its infrastructure projects after several roads were dug up soon after having been rebuilt or resurfaced.

In a press conference yesterday, shadow minister for transport, Mark Anthony Sammut and shadow minister for infrastructure, Joe Giglio, together with MEP candidate Louise Anne Pulis pointed to works on Triq il-Fortizza, Triq Durumblat and Triq Pantar, in Mosta as examples.

Sammut said that Triq il-Fortizza had been closed for almost three years while it was rebuilt and had only been recently completed. But, to the horror of residents and road users, roadworks machinery returned this week for the road to be dug up again for utility services to be laid.

“It confirms that the government has no plans and is utterly incompetent. It is unable to plan for a few years ahead and all management is done by crisis,” he said.

“This is not a case of bad workmanship but of work having to be redone when it could have been easily pre-planned.”

Giglio added that such mismanagement was having dire consequences on people, causing inconvenience, traffic diversions, delays, dust and pollution. Public funds were not being used wisely.

Pulis said the government’s current approach to infrastructure planning was a “national farce” and residents in other localities, including Żurrieq, Żabbar and Luqa, were in a similar situation.

She added that the situation was untenable for people with mobility issues as well as parents of young children who found such roads difficult to navigate.

Repeated roadworks, she said, were “stealing time” from residents and road users alike and financially harming businesses whose properties remain inaccessible while such works are ongoing.