Transport Minister Chris Bonett took to social media to address the traffic situation which saw various localities blocked with vehicles.
The Minister explained the two situations separately, seeing as there were traffic jams in both St Julian’s and in Paola.
As for St Julian’s, ‘maintenance works in St. Julian’s had to halt at 5:30 in the morning. I was informed that complications arose during the laying of the concrete, causing one lane to remain closed and creating a bottleneck that resulted in significant traffic.’
The Minister said that the contractor will bear responsibility but that he also understands that work can create complications.
As for Paola, many Muslims in Malta are celebrating Eid fl-Fitr today. Due to this, a large influx of people gathered in the area in celebration.
‘ Transport Malta had a reduced number of Enforcement Officers trying their best to manage the traffic problem, but at one point, we had the blocking of certain lanes near the Mosque. Enforcement officers do not have the authority to physically remove people from the road, so we needed police intervention, and that’s why the situation took a while to return to normal.’
Apologising for any inconvenience caused, the Minister said that he would remain honest and keep communication with public ongoing.
‘Unfortunately, incidents like today happen, although we are doing everything possible to make them less frequent.’
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