A number of immediate measures to tackle traffic bottlenecks will be announced soon, according to a Transport Malta official.

Speaking on the discussion programme Times Talk on TVM yesterday evening, Audrey Testaferrata de Noto said some measures had already been taken, such as the alternative route through Dock Seven which had successfully reduced traffic on Aldo Moro Road in Marsa.

She said Transport Malta was evaluating the impact of horses and heavy vehicles on rush-hour traffic.

The authority was also considering incentives to encourage car pooling as well as working on an intelligent traffic management system. This would include CCTV monitoring of major roads and modern signage to warn drivers of potential problems and how to avoid them.

Transport Minister Joe Mizzi, interviewed on the programme, said an efficient bus service was the Government’s top priority in order to ease the country’s transport problems. He said the country had two main transport issues – an excessive number of cars and problems of infrastructure.

Having a bus service in which the people could have confidence was the best way to encourage them to prefer the buses over their cars, he said.

The Government would then embark on a programme to improve the infrastructure of the country’s roads.