Traffic problems in Gżira have become a major cause of frustration for both residents and motorists, with long tailbacks all the way up Testaferrata Street as vehicles head towards Sliema.

Apart from having to run the gauntlet of construction and roadworks throughout the locality and the surrounding areas, motorists’ frustrations peak when the two-lane road leading from Testaferrata Street to the Gżira Strand funnels into one.

Instead of using the outer lane to turn towards Ta’ Xbiex, drivers often ignore the turn and use the lane to make headway through the traffic, pushing through at the last second to continue in the direction of the Strand. Cars parked illegally on the bus stop and sometimes double parked along the route are exacerbating the problem. 

Drivers often ignore the turn and use the lane to make headway through the traffic

Gżira mayor Conrad Borg Manché said the local council was embarking on a full traffic management study plan to improve traffic flows, provide parking solutions and increase pedestrian safety. This was a must due to the ever-increasing activity in the locality, he said.

He acknowledged that a bottleneck was becoming a fixture at the bottom of Testaferrata Street. Apart from the delay caused as vehicles gave way, Mr Borg Manché said many pedestrians crossed the road there, further compounding delays.

He pointed out that he had suggested installing a zebra crossing in Msida Road to Transport Malta so that pedestrians would walk across from one central point.

A balance needed to be struck between traffic flows and pedestrian safety, he added, noting that the latter could not be put at risk to improve traffic flows.

Replying to questions on whether there were any long-term plans to mitigate traffic in the area, a Transport Ministry spokesman said traffic was being diverted to the area due to the Kappara project.

Transport Malta had prepared three diversion routes for exiting the Kappara area, he added.

Emergency works and repairs on the electricity supply in the area might have caused the delays, the spokesman said, adding that in the area by the Kappara flyover, only one lane in one direction and two in the other were open.

Transport Malta would increase the capacity to two lanes in both directions by the end of the month, the spokesman added.