Lino Briguglio
The Times 18 May 2015
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150518/letters/Fatal-accident-just-waiting-to-happen.568617
On Wednesday, I witnessed a woman being almost run over by a speeding car while she was using the zebra crossing.
This happened at the Ferries at about 8 am, when a car on the normal lane stopped to let the woman cross and another vehicle came speeding along the Tigné seafront bus lane (illegally, as no passengers other than the driver were in the car), and almost hit the woman.
It was only luck that saved the woman’s life because the speeding driver managed to swerve to the right on the zebra crossing, just in time.
The bus lane along Tigné seafront is not properly supervised and it is often used by ineligible drivers to avoid traffic jams.
There is no speed camera in that lane and some motorists take advantage of this, often driving at excessive speed. If nothing is done, we will, sooner or later, experience a fatal accident there.
I fully agree with what Mr. Brigulio is saying. It has been noticed several times, that many drivers, without any justification, but just to avoid the traffic jam on the normal lane, are using the bus lane instead. Besides the inconvenience of getting to Manoel Island and still go through a bottleneck road, one has to be careful of illegal oncoming traffic.
ReplyDeleteWhat also baffles me is why the fixed position of kiosks placed in what would otherwise be a parking space is such that it hides people coming out onto the adjacent zebra crossing, surely it would be smarter to put these kioks on the other side of the zebra crossing rather than between oncoming cars and a designated crossing point! - re the priority/bus lane, I too think there needs to be more enforcement of its proper usage, not too sure a speed camera is the right tool though
ReplyDeleteTotally support these arguments. Several motorists (service vehicles, bikes, taxis) have decided they have the same right as buses to utilise the bus lane. Pedestrians are taken by surprise by vehicles other than buses. Signs should specify clearly who can make use. The area near Fortina Hotel is a nightmare.
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