Traffic jams are costly
Perhaps it is not realised, or at least it is not realised enough, that traffic issues are affecting our productivity and, as a result, the economy too. Last week, the delayed reopening of a 500-metre stretch between the St Julian’s tunnels and the Paceville traffic lights caused mayhem. The line of quieting cars stretched back all the way back to Marsa and beyond, and this inevitably meant that people arrived late at their destination.
Being a working day, and having been blocked in traffic at a time when most people are going to work, the traffic jam resulted in many employees arriving late. And they arrived flustered and frustrated, which also affects the rest of the day for them.
It is hard to calculate how many man hours were lost last Wednesday, but it is not a small number. And all this happened because there was a short part of the main carriageway which links the south to the north that was blocked. What made matters worse was that drivers who sought an alternative route found these roads were also closed because of work that was taking place.
What happened last week is not the first such incident. It has happened many times – too many times – that delayed road works have a negative effect on the traffic flow, not to mention the many other times that a traffic accident on a main road artery also led to huge traffic jams.
But, while traffic accidents cannot be anticipated, road works can be scheduled way ahead.
Road works are important, especially to keep the thoroughfares safe and smooth. But such work needs to be planned accordingly, and if some maintenance is needed in a road in a particular area it must be ensured that there are no other works taking place on routes that could serve as an alternative to drivers. Added to this, there should be a much wider advertising campaign that informs drivers of alternative routes they can take. The Infrastructure Malta page on Facebook offers such details, but its reach is limited.
The stretch of road that remained closed longer than anticipated last Wednesday will be overhauled over the next few years. There are plans for a major adjustment there, as a flyover is planned to be built along with other changes to the road network which, we are told, should improve the traffic flow when they are completed.
It is therefore crucial for Infrastructure Malta to come up with a comprehensive plan for when these road works are taking place. Such a project will take months, if not years, from start to finish, and we certainly cannot afford to have traffic mayhem every day.
Every hour of work that is lost because of traffic jam is a cost to productivity and the economy, and every effort should be made to limit these costs.