Cars stopped and started at the busy Gżira promenade yesterday morning as long lines of traffic clogged the two-lane road.
This road is suddenly in the spotlight after Transport Malta announced on Monday that it would extend the bus lane from the Ferries in Sliema by around 700 metres along the Gżira front.
The transport watchdog claims this measure will improve traffic flow at the Manoel Island junction as vehicles approaching from Sliema will no longer face a bottle neck. The proposal, however, was slammed by traffic experts who said it would only “worsen” the “dreadful” situation.
Just last year, the council of Liverpool ruled that 22 of its 26 bus lanes were going to be scrapped after a year-long trial as it believed there were better ways to improve traffic flow around the city than bus lanes.
It seems it is not just the experts who believe reducing traffic to a single-lane carriageway will fail – residents, workers and business owners feel the same way, according to this vox pop done in Gżira.
Manuel Darmanin
I don’t agree with their proposal as the country is too small. Our roads are small compared to other countries and we can’t copy everything they do. True, there are bus lanes abroad but not everywhere and you don’t find them in certain capital cities.
Daniel Gatt Baldacchino
I don’t agree with the proposals. At the moment there is heavy traffic so if you close down one lane the traffic will end up trailing all the way from Sliema to Gżira. The problem isn’t whether a bus lane is needed or not but the fact that the cars get stuck at a bottleneck [the entry to Manoel Island]. That needs to be resolved and it’s not done by adding a bus lane.
Joe Ungaro
I don’t think a bus lane is something which should be introduced here. There’s already a bottleneck near Manoel Island so how are the buses going to pass? I think matters will be made worse because cars will be constantly stopping and starting. I think everyone will suffer through this move.
Mary Darmanin
I think it will make matters worse and increase traffic, which in turn will lead to more cars stopping and starting.
Alfred Baldacchino
Things have to be introduced gradually... There are a lot of projects in the area and I think they will cause more harm than good.
Carmen Pisani
I don’t agree with the measure as it would create more traffic. Having just one lane for cars will make the situation more difficult... Traffic is a big issue along this road... especially in the morning.
Paul Grixti
The only good thing about this measure is the decision not to touch the parking bay. I wouldn’t be able to say whether it will ease traffic as I don’t drive anymore – we have to wait and see.