Anyone using the road from the Ferries to Gżira, particularly between 2.30 and 4.30pm, has to endure at least a half-hour, often longer, drive till one reaches the infamous Manoel Island bridge area.

The bridge and the immediate vicinity have, for many years, been a veritable traffic glue spot with vehicles crisscrossing the main road into Manoel Island and into inner Gżira to reach the Regional Road and the other Gżira roads.

Today, however, the old problems associated with the bridge and the surrounds pale into insignificance compared to the one-lane long coda that moves at snail’s pace from the Ferries, often even further back.

There are several reasons for this, particularly the non-observance of the bus lane used by so many, the old crisscrossing which always held up traffic, the innumerable traffic light sets which jam traffic all the way from the Ferries to Gżira and the bottleneck that still results at the Manoel Island bridge.

The bus lane might well have alleviated the waiting time for public transport users but has crucified most of us except those who ignore the bus lane or the many exceptions given to taxis, special vehicles, security vans, the military and so on.

All in all, the bus lane exercise has not solved any real problems as these can only be solved if the bridge is rebuilt somehow or other, the petrol station receded and land taken from the Ta’ Xbiex Gardens to widen the main road.

The half-measure solution resorted to by our road planning experts is frustrating us all. Perhaps the minister and his experts should see the mess for themselves and drive through without their air conditioning on and refrain from using the bus lane like most of us.

What a waste of time and fuel. No wonder there is so much anger on the road.