Updated: Road quiet, buses parked in terminus, funerals held

(Adds Valletta ferry back in operation, policemen on tourist buses)

Malta's roads are today the quietest they have been all week, with all buses parked at the Valletta Terminus as the public transport strike continues.

Roads which have been totally or partially blocked for most of the week, such as St Anne Street, are completely clear.

Some red mini-buses were seen parked near the Pavi Supermarket in Qormi this morning but caused no traffic flow problems. The police are keeping traffic away from the area.

Three funerals were held this morning, operated by the previously striking hearses. The hearses were escorted by the police. Another two funerals will be held this afternoon and the health division is holding a meeting to schedule the burial of the remaining 33 corpses, currently at Mater Dei Hospital.

At Sliema, the ferry to Valletta was back in operation this morning. Tourist sight-seeing buses were going about their business, with two policemen on board. There is also a strong police presence on the roads approaching Valletta and the airport.

The withdrawal of new licences for hearses had been a key condition for the transport strike to stop, but the Hearses Association pulled out of the strike last night after having reached agreement with the government on liberalisation, just hours after the government announced the granting of new licences for five hearses.