On Monday morning Moviment Graffitti, Friends of the Earth Malta, and Rota put up banners over gridlock traffic in Marsa and Msida "to highlight the major shortcomings in our transport infrastructure".

The three organisations blamed the authorities for excessive car dependence, congestion and pollution.

The banners read Prijorità nies, mhux karozzi (Prioritise people, not cars).

In a statement, the NGOs berate the "incessant prioritisation of private car use over safer, more inclusive, and sustainable transport".

"This broken model has led to more car traffic, with almost 40 cars added to our roads every day, and an alarming number of road accidents: 2022 shattered records with 26 people killed and hundreds suffering grievous injuries over the year.

"Since pedestrians and cyclists are the most vulnerable commuters on dangerous roads, these statistics do not promote the voluntary uptake of active travel. Ironically, big infrastructural projects across the island have failed to abate traffic congestion, unsurprising to experts in the field who have been warning of the problem of induced demand," they said.

Additionally, the NGOs added, the construction of new and widened roads has seen a massive loss in agricultural or otherwise water-permeable land, exacerbating flooding, food security concerns, and climate-related issues, and the emissions from increased private car use have both environmental and human health impacts.

They called on the authorities to start implementing bold and necessary steps to resolve what has fast become a national crisis.