Momentum Calls for Overhaul of Construction Safety After Gżira Scaffolding Collapse

Partit Momentum has called for sweeping reforms to Malta's construction safety regime following Friday morning's scaffolding collapse onto Reggie Miller Street in Gżira, describing the incident as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by inadequate enforcement.

In a statement, the party said the collapse, which narrowly missed two vehicles travelling through one of the area's busiest junctions, demonstrated that public safety is still being left to chance. According to footage from the scene, a digger at the construction site appeared to push the scaffolding into the road moments after one car had passed underneath, while another vehicle managed to stop just short of the falling structure.

Momentum argued that the absence of injuries was "a matter of luck" rather than evidence of an effective safety system, blaming what it described as fragmented enforcement and a lack of accountability within the construction sector.

The party is urging the government to establish a single, properly resourced authority responsible for enforcing safety standards at dangerous structures and construction sites. It also reiterated its proposal for an emergency reporting line that would allow residents to report hazardous buildings and active construction sites before accidents occur.

Momentum further called for reforms to the Planning Authority, saying it should be rebuilt around independent experts free from conflicts of interest with the construction industry. The party also stressed that contractors whose works endanger the public should face consistent consequences, rather than escaping accountability if no one is injured.

Momentum Committee Member Dr Matthew Agius said the people travelling through Reggie Miller Street "survived because a driver was fast enough to stop, not because anyone protected them," arguing that residents should not have to "gamble with their lives every time they walk past a construction site."

The party said it would continue campaigning for stronger regulation, stricter enforcement and a construction industry that prioritises public safety over profit.

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