Transport Malta unveils traffic management plan for smaller SiGMA conference
The plan is the same as last year's, but event will be smaller
Transport Malta revealed its traffic management plan for SiGMA's annual conference, which is expected to have fewer attendees this year.
This year’s event will take place from 1 to 3 September at the Malta Maritime Hub (MMH).
Unlike previous year’s this will not be SiGMA’s main event. The company's main event, originally due to be held in Milan, will take place in Rome.
A Transport Malta spokesperson said the Malta event this year would attract 15,000 people. A SiGMA spokesperson later told Times of Malta attendance would top out at 12,000.
Last year, SiGMA’s main conference attracted around 27,000 delegates. This large event drew criticism for exacerbating traffic congestion, particularly around Marsa, where the conference was held.
Despite the complaints, the Traffic Ministry had insisted that its traffic management plan worked.
During a media briefing on Wednesday, Transport Malta CEO Kurt Farrugia reiterated that last year's plan worked well, and overall, TM plans on implementing a very similar traffic management plan.
The main difference is that more TM officials will be deployed on the first day of the event, and the white taxi drop-off and pick-up point has moved.
Just like last year, TM plans on implementing a geo-fenced area for ride-hailing cabs, meaning that Y-plate taxis will not be able to drop off or pick up anyone within the general area of the event.
Instead, ride-hailing cabs will have a designated pick-up and drop-off spot, on the other side of Triq il-Labour in ONE News’ parking lot. Attendees will have to walk for about five minutes and cross the bridge over the main road to reach the event.
White taxis will have a separate drop-off and pick-up zone located along the road in front of Identità’s office.
Chauffeur-driven cabs will use Addolorata Cemetery’s parking area as private parking for their cabs.
While anyone catching a coach or mini-bus will be dropped off and picked up on Triq tat-Tromba, which is a seven-minute walk from the venue.
Otherwise, staff personnel will have their own designated parking closer to the venue.
Besides these different zones, TM officials will be patrolling the area and making use of drones to best monitor the traffic.
In an interview with Times of Malta last year, prime minister Robert Abela said that the Malta Maritime Hub is not a viable venue and pledged to find a better venue to host this conference.
This is the third consecutive year that the MMH will be used as SiGMA's venue.