Traffic heading towards total collapse

Traffic in Malta seems to have reached a level which is very close to the total collapse of the system. Small collapses are visible daily in the Luqa/Qormi/Marsa area as a result of temporary closure of major roads, Triq Garibaldi and Triq il-Kunsill tal-Ewropa, as well as further minor roadworks in the area.

In the past weeks I spent hours on Maltese roads, most of the time stuck in traffic, either due to the various roadworks or to accidents blocking the traffic arteries.

I cannot understand a lately published statement that the Maltese roads are among the safest in Europe when I see accidents daily, often more than just one, and hear the news about fatal accidents also almost every day.

Traffic jams can cause accidents as some drivers do not approach them with the necessary patience and concentration. Further delays are the result.

The government or the responsible ministry needs to coordinate with the local councils about road closures.

Furthermore, these road closures must be kept as short as possible using new technologies and procedures and not depend on local contractors determining the needed time themselves. At other places in Europe a fraction of the time is required for the same work to be carried out so the effects on the flow of traffic are less serious.

More trips need to be done using public transport and not one’s own car. Let’s hope the public transport system will eventually become more attractive in terms of routes and pricing.

Bicycles need to be used more but missing, unmaintained or non-respected bike lanes make this very difficult, as does the attitude of some drivers towards cyclists.