As has happened on various occasions in the past, the Roads Department or whoever it is that administers the roads system has indulged in yet another brilliant piece of lateral thinking. The residents of Swieqi woke up a week ago to find that one of three main traffic exits out of Swieqi, that leading from Triq id-Dris to St Andrew's Road had, without notice, been barred for exit by vehicle.

Elementary, my dear Watson! If it is dangerous to exit because of oncoming traffic do not endeavour to make it safe but simply bar it for exit. For the benefit of readers of The Times who are unfamiliar with the area I mention, that one other exit through Triq is-Swieqi and thence under the bridge to the main road is much more dangerous as the traffic flow there is three-way, as opposed to the two-way traffic in St Andrews Road from Triq id-Dris.

Running the gauntlet is putting it mildly! The only other exit near 'Luxol' I tend to disregard as the delays in exiting here are quite substantial because of congestion caused by the traffic lights and motorists constantly ignoring the painted box area on which vehicles should not stop.

Prior to the last general election, we were advised through the electoral block post that a traffic island would shortly be introduced at the bridge exit but it appears that this has gone the way of some other pre-electoral promises. In this regard, it may be pertinent to mention that over the past years the residents of Swieqi have been regularly regaled with ambitious plans to facilitate the exit from Triq id-Dris into St Andrews Road, but the solution now implemented shows a curious ignorance, or is it disregard, for the problems of the area.

It should be patently obvious that by merely closing one of the main exits out of Swieqi, more pressure will be placed on the other two exits, exacerbating the already substantial traffic problems in the area. Perhaps if residents became more vociferous more notice will be taken of the justified complaints being aired.