Simple route solution for Hastings area residents

The residents in the Valletta Hastings Gardens area and others who now need to drive to that area of our capital city have not had their world turned upside down with the introduction of the new traffic arrangements, as was reported in The Times (April 29).

But they will definitely suffer a lot of inconvenience and frustration every time they have to drive into that part of Valletta. The new traffic arrangements seem to unnecessarily complicate matters for these residents and other drivers who must drive to the Hastings Gardens area.

Should that part of Old Bakery Street between St Mark Street and Ordinance Street have the flow of traffic reversed, the residents and other drivers will have their inconvenience and frustration much eased and furthermore such a reversal will cut the length of the journey from St Mark Street to the Hastings Gardens area by more than half. All other arrangements may remain as published on a trial basis for a few days.

With such a reversal of that small part of Old Bakery Street, the result will see traffic intersecting this street from St Mark Street, either turning left towards lower Valletta or else turning right towards Hastings Gardens.

This would be a much better arrangement than having the traffic bound for Hastings Gardens diverted through South Street from Castille Place, and then having to cross the pedestrian flow at Republic Street.