Residents of the hamlet of Salini were left driving around in circles trying to find a parking place after they woke to find ‘No Parking’ signs put up everywhere.

The hamlet has suddenly found itself at the receiving end of Transport Malta’s Coast Road works.

“No one informed us that our hamlet was part of the project. We only got to know last week, when we got a letter on November 4 from the Naxxar local council,” said resident Barry Lightening.

Transport Malta has started works on the access ramps leading to the hamlet, resulting in its main road, Triq Francesco Ximenes, being partly closed off along its length. All parking bays were removed so as to accommodate one lane of vehicle passage.

According to the local council, the loss in parking spaces will be in part catered for by new bays. “But we’ve seen no sign of these. Where are we meant to park meanwhile? In our road there are 28 cars,” said Mr Lightening.

Residents also said that according to the new Transport Malta road plans sent to them by the council, the new access is too narrow and cannot be widened, as to one side there is a 17th century wall.