Traffic jams were also reported all the way from the Msida roundabout through the tunnels leading to St Venera.

Traffic misery continued for thousands of motorists across the island yesterday as massive tailbacks were reported around Malta.

Police and wardens were out in force but motorists said their presence did little to mitigate the problem.

Numerous readers told this paper that they would be waved through by police directing traffic in one area, only to get stuck again further down the road.

Traffic was particularly bad in the Tal-Barrani area where changes to the traffic light timing has slowed progress through the area during rush hour.

The traffic lights used to be synchronised but a recent modification to the timings has led to more stopping and starting by motorists as they navigate each set of lights.

The situation was equally bad near the University roundabout all the way down to the Santa Venera tunnels in the Marsa direction.

A Times of Malta reader took the time stuck in traffic to catch up on the day’s news.

At a press conference last month prior to the start of scholastic year, Transport Minister Joe Mizzi warned people not to expect “miracles” when it came to the government solving the traffic problem.

The authorities have deployed 50 officials, from police officers to wardens, in strategic roads across the country to better control the traffic flow.

Police are directing traffic during peak hours on arterial roads outside Valletta and Floriana, Marsa, Paola, Kappara, San Ġwann, Mosta, Rabat and the Birkirkara bypass.

Transport Malta’s CEO James Piscopo has put the increase in traffic down to the fact that more people were working and using the roads more frequently.

On the lighter side, one Times of Malta reader sent in a picture of herself stuck in traffic while reading an article titled ‘How to beat the morning jams’.

A policeman does his best to keep an orderly flow of traffic near a roundabout in Santa Luċija yesterday. Photo: Steve Zammit Lupi

Drivers heading toward Marsa through Qormi, close to Pavi supermarket, were also stuck behind the wheel for long stretches of time, with the problem being worse for drivers heading south. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Reports about heavy traffic at tal-Barrani, towards Paola, came to a head yesterday after an accident was reported there, bringing traffic to a standstill.

Despite a strong police presence at roundabouts all over the island chaos was still reported in these areas.