Toilets and other neglected infrastructure

Times of Malta
Tuesday, 12th January 2010

Letters
Bernard A. Vassallo, Swieqi
http://www.timesofmalta.com.mt/articles/view/20100112/letters/toilets-and-other-neglected-infrastructure-1

Recently, Malta scored highly in an international survey in terms of quality of life but less well in our infrastructure.
For example, public toilets, both those run by the government and by privately owned cafés and bars are, compared to the same in Italy, some of our notorious losers.
Our toilets are often dirty and are certainly not cleaned often enough.
They often lack toilet paper, or hand wipers, and the electric hand dryers are seldom in working order. Even tap water is often lacking, or tap faucets are old and rudimentary. Electronic sensor taps, or foot pedal taps for free hands, are totally missing.
One gets the impression that our public toilets are not officially inspected often enough, or at all. This is all part of the infrastructure which locals and tourists notice and compare to other advanced countries.
In a different vein, the resurfacing of roads leading to Dingli seems to have been forgotten, in the laudable upgrading of our road network. Ħal Tartarni Road and Dingli Road in Rabat, and the main Rabat-Dingli road, as well as Dingli village's main road are crying out for upgrading to an adequate standard. Many locals and tourists use these roads daily and they cannot fail to notice their sorry state.
There have been a lot of improvements in our infrastructure in recent years. Yet, the above-mentioned ones, among others, call for urgent attention.

Times of Malta
Tuesday, 12th January 2010

Joe Busuttil, Swieqi
http://www.timesofmalta.com.mt/articles/view/20100112/letters/toilets-and-other-neglected-infrastructure-2

The patrons' toilet in a leading retail outlet in San Ġwann has been for many months now without toilet paper and paper towels. The dispensers are always empty.
On the washbasin, the tap sits unsteadily.
If it has been mishandled, surely it's not asking too much to have it fixed properly or replaced.
I have complained about this a few times at intervals but no action has been taken to remedy the situation.
If it is a case of the paper products getting stolen, surely a notice can be put up in a prominent place directing patrons to a customer care source where these can be provided.