Trailer operators worried by traffic congestion, limited parking
Trailer operators have incurred €36,829 in obstruction fines in two years
Persistent road congestion, limited parking, and clashes with football events are making logistics at the Grand Harbour unsustainable, the Association of Tractor and Trailer Operators (ATTO) has warned.
It said that despite having raised these issues with the Ombudsman a year ago, including fines and operational bottlenecks at Laboratory Wharf and Corradino Hill, members continue to face the same critical challenges, placing Malta’s supply chain under mounting strain.
“We first wrote to the Ombudsman on 17th February 2025 and his intervention led to some improvements, including a reduction in fines. However, while our members still pay all regulatory and terminal fees, Transport Malta not only is failing to provide the operational support needed for safe and efficient trailer operations but continues to issue fines unfairly,” says Joseph Bugeja, ATTO’s chairman in a statement.
ATTO has also been engaging with the police and the Malta Football Association, raising concerns over clashes between peak trailer operations on Saturdays that coincide with football matches at the Tony Bezzina Stadium which forces trailer operators to park trailers on the road leading to the port.
Over the past two years Maltese international trailer operators have incurred a total of €36,829 in obstruction fines, the association said.
“Our members are the ones who link Malta to mainland Europe daily and who deliver essential supplies to Malta. Yet they are being unjustly penalised for circumstances entirely beyond their control,” Bugeja added.
Imminent developments, including the new Corradino Sports Complex and Paola’s designation as European Town of Sports 2026 would further strain the already congested infrastructure, he added.
Among other suggestions, the association is calling for dedicated layby parking facilities for empty trailers exclusively booked for export.
“We have already run out of space, and soon we will be expected to share this already limited area with even more new operations (such as the dedicated cargo service to Gozo). And yet, our members continue to be penalised for circumstances beyond their control. Without urgent intervention, congestion and inefficiencies will only get worse. The situation is now unsustainable,” concluded Mr Bugeja.