Close to 900 traffic-related contraventions were issued daily in 2021, mostly for parking-related offences, contravening carriageway markings and illegal use of priority lanes. The figure, which is a significant increase over 2020, excludes speed camera fines which in 2021 exceeded 45,000.

Data published by the National Statistics Office, reveals that around two-thirds of traffic tickets were issued by wardens, followed by the police and the remainder by Transport Malta enforcement officials.

In 2021, wardens issued an average of 631 tickets daily for an annual total of 230,360 which corresponds to a 43.8% rise on the previous year.

During the period under review the police issued an average of 237 tickets daily which marked a pronounced 102.7% rise (doubled) over 2020.

However, this trend was not observed in the analysis for contraventions issued by Transport Malta officials whereby the annual total declined by 26.3% when compared to 2020, down to an average of 29 daily tickets.

St Julian’s and St Paul’s Bay top the list

In 2021, transport-related contraventions totalled 327,633 of which 230,360 were issued by wardens, 86,677 by Police and 10,596 by Transport Malta. The largest amount of these transport-related contraventions was handed out in the Northern Harbour district, amounting to 126,155 or 38.5% of the total. St Julian’s registered the largest number of transport-related contraventions issued by police, whereas St Paul’s Bay recorded the largest number of transport-related contraventions issued by Wardens, recording 7,919 and 19,729 contraventions respectively. Transport Malta issued the most transport-related contraventions in St Paul’s Bay, adding up to 1,331 contraventions during 2021.

The most common contraventions

In 2021, the highest number of transport-related contraventions issued by police were for ‘Illegal/unauthorised parking/ stopping’ amounting to 24,708, or 28.5% of the total. Wardens issued the most transport-related contraventions for ‘Contravening carriage way markings/driving in priority lane’ with 70,146 contraventions, while Transport Malta issued the most transport-related contraventions for ‘License/ Insurance Irregularity’ with 3,164 contraventions.

Speed camera tickets

Speed camera contraventions totalled 45,504, of which 38,552 or 84.7% of the total were contraventions that were within the ‘15km/h over speed limit’ group. The camera which caught the most over-speeding vehicles was the one situated in Triq Dun Karm, Birkirkara, garnering 8,435 contraventions. The average daily speed camera contraventions issued, from all cameras installed around Malta, totalled 125.

Warnings

During the period under review, the number of transport-related warnings for contraventions reached 9,355. The Northern Harbour district registered the highest number of transport-related warnings, totalling 3,308 or 35.4% of the total. The most transport-related warnings (6,567) were handed out for ‘licence not affixed’, followed by ‘vehicle not good to be used on the road’ with 1,839 warnings.

St Paul’s Bay topped the list of localities for transport-related warnings issued with 687 warnings. Qormi and Sliema followed with 549 and 504 transport-related warnings issued respectively.