During the past few months, a series of inspections were carried out by Transport Malta in different parts of the country.

44 vehicles were stopped and 66 illegalities were noticed, with a number of vehicles having more than one illegality pegged to one vehicle, and had to be fined for these contraventions, TM said.

It explained that some of the illegalities found during these inspections were that tyres not being in good condition, lack of proper firefighting equipment such as fire extinguishers, vehicles not being in a good general condition, lacking a valid license and an expired insurance policy.

Two vehicles had to be banned from use due to their very poor condition, Transport Malta said.

These inspections were carried in collaboration with a number of authorities so as to ensure that various aspects of the commercial operation of these vehicles are in line with Maltese and international legislation.

Transport Malta Enforcement Officers carried out these inspections with Officers from the Traffic Division and Immigration Department within the Malta Police Force, officers from Jobsplus and the Department of Industrial and Employment Relations (DIER). During one of these inspections, officers from the European Labour Agency were also present.

Transport Malta stressed that the purpose of these inspections is a holistic one, and goes beyond a simple inspection to ensure that the vehicle is in full conformity with the highway code.

Officials from the Malta Police Force, apart from providing their assistance to ensure that there is proper conduct during these inspections, make sure that the individuals driving these vehicles are not doing so with criminal intent or do not have a criminal record, TM said.

Officers from the Department of Immigration check that whoever is using these vehicles is not in the country illegally. DIER officers check that the workers who are driving these vehicles are provided with good working conditions, whilst officers from JobsPlus make sure that the employer registers his employees as required by law.

Mr. Patrick Pollacco, Director in the Enforcement Unit at Transport Malta stressed the importance of constant investment in road safety. Mr. Pollacco thanked the workers for their diligence and help in conducting these inspections on heavy vehicles, and also thanked other Departments and Disciplinary Forces for their work during these inspections.

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