Malta Chamber warns government inaction is worsening traffic congestion

The Malta Chamber warned that Malta risks worsening congestion and weakening its economic competitiveness unless the government takes a serious stand on addressing its long-standing traffic issues. 

In a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, the Chamber said it had repeatedly put forward measures to address traffic, but that few had been implemented.

It said congestion was no longer simply a daily inconvenience but a growing economic and social burden.

"It is a drag on national productivity, a daily cost to businesses, a burden on workers, has a negative effect on the wellbeing and a serious obstacle to Malta’s competitiveness," it said. 

"When traffic becomes normalised, the country pays for it in hours lost, fuel wasted, wellbeing reduced and business opportunities diminished."

Traffic gridlock was recently ranked as Malta’s biggest problem in a Times of Malta poll. According to the NSO, the number of vehicles on Maltese roads increased by 35 every day in the last quarter of 2025. 

The Chamber said reducing car dependency would require better transport alternatives as well as measures that discouraged private car use during peak periods.

"Without a balanced approach that includes practical alternatives and measures that make continued car use less attractive in peak conditions, behavioural change will remain limited, and the roads will remain congested," it said.

The Chamber criticised Malta’s continued reliance on fragmented systems and manual traffic management despite advances in digital technology and artificial intelligence.

"The country cannot continue deploying manpower to manage roundabouts and congestion manually when intelligent traffic-light systems, smarter data tools, and better coordination platforms should already be standard," it added. 

Include AI systems to address road closures

The Chamber called for an AI-driven system to process road closure requests and permits, alongside a public platform giving residents and businesses advance notice of planned disruptions.

The business organisation said the platform should form part of a wider internal system linking government entities responsible for roadworks, permits and traffic management.

It argued that better coordination and greater use of technology could reduce avoidable congestion and limit the disruption caused by overlapping works.

Among its proposals was a mobility e-wallet funded through revenue from targeted urban parking and congestion-management measures. The Chamber said the system could encourage greater use of public transport and other alternatives to private cars.

It also proposed public-private partnerships to move on-street parking into underground or multi-storey car parks. The Chamber also called for reforms to school transport through geographic pooling and supervised walking initiatives.

It proposed smart parking systems in congestion-prone localities, loading-bay management and delivery-slot booking in commercial areas.

Public funding for transport and infrastructure projects should also be tied to independently verified mobility outcomes, it said.

The Chamber urged the government to move beyond isolated measures and adopt a coordinated transport strategy.

"Malta can no longer afford piecemeal measures, slow implementation and half-measures that fail to address the root causes of congestion," it concluded.

"If Government does not act decisively now, the country risks entrenching inefficiency, weakening competitiveness and failing residents, workers and businesses alike. It’s time to break the gridlock."