Mayor Robert Cutajar.

Exasperated commuters have questioned whether the Mellieħa mayor has the right to ban non-residents from entering his town using the road leading from Għadira Bay.

Has Mellieħa opted out of the Schengen agreement?

Drivers hoping to beat the lengthy diversions in place due to extensive roadworks are being turned away from Mellieħa if they cannot prove they are residents by traffic wardens stationed opposite the Seabank Hotel.

Hired by the council, the wardens have set up a roadblock and are checking drivers’ identity cards to ensure only Mellieħa identity card holders enter the village.

“Since when did mayors have the option to ban free transit? Has Mellieħa opted out of the Schengen agreement?” said an irate Ray Bondin, adding that his daily commute from Għajnsielem has become unbearable. (The Schengen Agreement abolished internal borders, enabling free movement between a large number of European countries).

The wardens are particularly active during morning rush hour, which adds to existing congestion problems.

Diversions are in place because the Mellieħa Bypass and Marfa Road are being reconstructed as part of the European Ten-T projects. They are expected to be ready by the end of this year.

The Gozo Business Chamber expressed its “utter dismay” at the order given by mayor Robert Cutajar to ban non-residents.

“All traffic is diverted by wardens through the narrow, one-way road passing by Popeye Village, with the consequence that traffic coming from Gozo faces congestion and the average trip for us Gozitans has increased by another 15 to 30 minutes,” it said.

The chamber received complaints from members who have missed flights and important meetings because of traffic jams, which sometimes last more than an hour.

It called on the authorities to “immediately stop this abusive action” and open the road to Mellieħa without further delay. But the council said the decision, approved by Transport Malta, was taken because drivers were not following diversion signs correctly, creating congestion and an “inconvenience to residents”.

The council said it understood that commuters were inconvenienced but “all stakeholders have to shoulder part of the burden”.

Mellieħa residents have to put up with the heavy machinery and traffic going to Gozo, Għadira or Armier that passes through the main road, Ġorġ Borġ Olivier Street. They also have to walk long distances to use public transport because Arriva buses have to use alternative routes, the council said.

The decision to station the wardens was taken unanimously by the council in agreement with the transport authority to “balance out the situation”.

“Mellieħa roads are what they are and there are limited alternatives. But the council is prepared to sit down with all the involved parties to discuss and, if it’s the case, find other solutions,” the council said.

These alternative solutions must not lead to residents shouldering a bigger burden, it added.

The council appealed to the authorities to ensure that the project timeframes were adhered to.