ADDRESS BY THE HON. CENSU GALEA, MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS AT THE ALL AMERICAN STARS CLUB AMERICAN CARS EXHIBITION.

No. 0942 Press Releases

ADDRESS BY THE HON. CENSU GALEA, MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS AT THE ALL AMERICAN STARS CLUB AMERICAN CARS EXHIBITION.

Your Excellency, Mr President, Ladies & Gentlemen,

It is my pleasure to join the American people in celebrating America's Independence Day. This is also my second opportunity to participate in this activity to mark this day on the initiative of the All American Stars motor show.

The fourth of July has a great significance to the American people, because it represents the celebration, by the American people, of the spirit of Liberty.

It is therefore a day where all born and adopted Americans renew and re-affirm their faith in the Spirit of Liberty, epitomised in the American Constitution.

"Liberty is in the hearts of all men and women" said Judge Learned Hand, "and when this liberty dies, there is no constitution, no law, no court that can save it. Nor can these institutions do anything to help it. The denial of liberty leads straight to its overthrow".

About liberty H.G. Wells once said, " this is the spirit of the One who lived 2000 years ago, taught mankind this lesson, that yet the world has never learned, but has never quite forgotten. This lesson, is that there is a kingdom where the least shall be heard and considered side by side with the greatest".

Madam Ambassador, these are feelings equally shared by the Maltese people. It is another common factor that unites our people, who, although living miles away, and differ in size and culture, yet are so near to each other in the values, that most of us believe in.

I hope, therefore, that your Excellency conveys these sincere greetings and well wishes of the Maltese to the people of the United States.

Today's occasion like the one held last year also unites various organisations that thrive on or are enthusiasts of American products, particularly cars. As last year it is a show that pleases the eye and brings back memories of certain vehicles that no longer grace our roads.

It is a commonly known fact that the Maltese have a reputation of having a particular attachment to their car, yet I am always impressed by the way these, otherwise museum pieces, are kept and maintained in pristine condition.

It is true that local atmospheric conditions make it possible to extend the normal life span of any car. However, most of this longevity is due to the care and attention that Maltese car owners take of their vehicle.

In Malta we experience a particular phenomenon; that is, whilst importation of new cars is not only constant but on the increase year after year, the longevity of other cars is also on the upward trend. Not withstanding that during the first six months an average 1400 new cars per month hit our roads, the amount of cars over 10 years old still constitutes about 50% of the whole registered cars in Malta.

Nowadays, it is also becoming quite common that clubs are formed to promote the preservation or the renovation of a particular brand of car. In fact quite a number of old cars have been reborn from some scrap yard and now are in their former glory.

Events like today's are becoming quite a common occurrence, demonstrating the love and interest of these enthusiasts in the car industry. It is even more positive when these exhibitions and rallies are held for a worthy cause.

On the other hand we must ensure that records of these cars are kept both by the respective organisation and the Licensing department so that we ensure that these are roadworthy, and not being the case of cannibalising some stolen vehicle.

We still have some cars that may not be fit and safe to be on our roads. Now that most VRT stations are in place we will soon move into implementing a second phase of the VRT where other parts of the car may fail a VRT and therefore owners must ensure that their vehicles are checked and serviced more regularly.

We also hope that by the end of this year we will start implementing the changes in the way a driving license is obtained. We hope that the final version of the Highway Code be published soon so that driving tests are carried out on the basis of this new code.

During this year we will also continue on the overhaul of certain important arterial Roads. The roads department will, next week, be issuing a code of ethics as to how these works are to be carried out so that they cause the least inconvenience.

To conclude, your Excellency, ladies and gentlemen, I wish, once again, to convey my greetings to the American people, particularly now that through intensive talks between the Maltese and American Federal Aviation, authorities we can make use of direct flights to and from Malta and New York. We hope that this opportunity attracts more American people to join the thousands of visitors to our island in future.

I also wish to congratulate the All Americans Stars Club for the organisation of this event and wish them great success.

07.07.2000