A ferry to transport passengers from the south of Malta to Valletta could be on the cards to help ease traffic, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said today.

Giving an overview of the measures being considered to reduce traffic, Dr Muscat said a regular sea shuttle to Valletta, as well as an improved service across the Marsamxett harbour to Sliema, could work.

Asked if a major underground system was being considered, Dr Muscat said: “of course, all options are being looked at very seriously”.

The traffic situation has dominated the national headlines, as the start of the scholastic season has once again seen much of the island gridlocked.

Dr Muscat said the government had long been looking into the introduction of a smart traffic management system. This would see cameras set up across the island which would monitor traffic flows. These would then send radio messages to motorists informing them of the best routes to take where to avoid and expected traffic flows. It would also allow the police to set up quicker diversions.

Transport Minister Joe Mizzi recently said a tidal system for lanes was set to be introduced. The system means that lanes would be allocated according to the direction where traffic is heaviest. A four-lane road could, for example, have three lanes allocated for south-bound traffic in the morning, and the reverse in the evening when traffic is heaviest.

Dr Muscat said this would have a major impact on the traffic situation on the island and was needed in areas such as Marsa. This, he said, was because the shipbuilding slip road, used to stem traffic, would no longer be available, at least not every day, due to works set to take place there.