Motorists are being driven to distraction by the police’s decision to close a number of major arterial roads to accommodate feast enthusiasts this weekend.

Last weekend part of Regional Road was inaccessible in the evenings due to the Msida feast.

The Marsa/Ħamrun bypass, Mrieħel bypass and a part of Aldo Moro Road are closed between 6pm and 9pm today to make way for the Santa Venera feast.

They were also closed between 9pm and 11pm last night.

The permits meant that the Msida Pyrotechnic Society could let off a fireworks display from Swatar last weekend while the closure of the Santa Venera tunnels allowed the Għaqda tan-Nar 26 ta’ Lulju to let off fireworks from a field next to the busy arterial road.

When Mater Dei Hospital opened in 2008, the authorities stopped permitting the Santa Venera tunnels to be closed amid concerns this would hinder ambulances and jeopardise patients. However, last year, the new police administration seemed to have had a change of heart.

Responding to questions by The Sunday Times of Malta yesterday, the police said: “If the need arises, fireworks may be stopped at any time in order for emergency services to pass through.”

Meanwhile, hundreds of motorists vented their frustration at resultant traffic jams on social media and online comment boards.

“The convenience of a few becomes an inconvenience for many,” was the general call echoing across media platforms.

Julian Christopher Zarb wrote: “It’s incredible how all the roads are arterial roads... one would imagine that local feasts require local roads to be closed. A little bit of common sense, please.”

Dannie Brincat wrote: “As if there’s not enough traffic jams at off peak hours. Why should the country stop because of 300 feasts we have in summer?”

Chris Caruana said it was “out of proportion” that for a couple of thousand people to celebrate their feast, an estimated 50,000 had to be inconvenienced by 30 to 60 minutes during peak travelling time.

Traffic expert Joe Micallef Stafrace told this newspaper he was concerned about ambulances during the tunnels’ closure.

“The first priority is always safety. Hopefully, the ambulances will have clear routes.”

He stressed the importance that closing periods are kept as short as possible and that alternate routes are clearly marked throughout and not just at the first turning of the diversion, abandoning motorists in a maze of roads.

“It’s a question striking a balance between tolerating the pleasures of others and reducing the inconvenience as much as possible.”