Residents who live near Hastings and in Pope Pius V Street, Valletta this afternoon held a symbolic protest against the traffic arrangements being made and presented their own proposals.

The residents, together with lawyer Emanuel Mallia, will be presenting a statement to the local council who they said had ignored them and did not consult them.

"We are going to be locked into our homes like prisoners," they argued.

Their main concern is that the route to their homes would be long and winding having to go through very narrow roads, creating a major inconvenience. This was especially so if the services of an ambulance was required.

Dr Mallia, who is also a resident in the area, said that people who lived in Valletta were already at a disadvantage to when they needed works to be carried out in their homes.

Many of the residents affected were elderly and would probably risk their life if they ever needed to go to hospital in an emergency.

The residents proposed that traffic should enter Valletta from next to Castille moving on to South Street, then through St Mark's Street and up from Old Bakery Street. This, they said, would abolish the whole problem.