Driving in Malta comes with its fair share of challenges and obstacles, the latest of which is a sizeable crane platform plonked in the middle of an Msida road.

Motorists will have to zigzag around the crane platform, built in Sawmill Street for the construction of an apartment block.

Residents and motorists alike have expressed their frustration at how a contractor could be allowed to take over a chunk of a public road. One resident who spoke to the Times of Malta said the crane platform impeded her from accessing her garage.

A spokesman for the Msida local council insisted that there was “ample space” for an average-sized car to pass through the one-way residential road, since there was adequate width between the pavement and the crane platform.

The spokesman said the contractor had all the necessary building permits, including the council’s go-ahead, for the platform. He said the council would look into any complaints and would take the necessary steps to limit access to the street.

Last week, the Democratic Party warned that Malta’s “schizophrenic” construction frenzy could prove to be unsustainable and lead to an economic collapse.

During an interview with this paper last month, Malta Developers Association president Sandro Chetcuti acknowledged the disruption caused by the current boom in construction work, saying that progress also had its inconveniences.