The new traffic arrangement intended to ease traffic at two arterial roundabouts in Naxxar is being criticised for achieving the opposite effect, but Transport Malta said it was done on a trial basis.

A few days ago, a series of bollards were installed at both roundabouts located just a few metres away from each other at the end of Tal-Balal Road. This has effectively merged them into one large traffic island.

As a result, drivers approaching Naxxar from San Ġwann who want to take the Birguma bypass now have to go past the exit on the first roundabout, take the second roundabout and double back.

We have to approach it twice from opposite directions with no visible improvement in the flow of traffic

This deviation has not been well received by a number of drivers, who aimed a barrage of criticism at the transport watchdog on social media.

Many described the new arrangement as “pointless” and only serving to make the traffic hold-ups worse.

“Rather than having to negotiate one roundabout, we have to approach it twice from opposite directions with no visible improvement in the flow of traffic,” was a common form of complaint.

A few, however, did see a slight improvement in the flow of traffic.

Contacted by Times of Malta, a Transport Malta spokeswoman said the initial impact was always going to be “challenging” as drivers needed to “adapt” to the new system. She added that the authority was monitoring the situation and would determine the “appropriate way forward” in due course.