The transport authorities paid over €12 million in contracts to advisors since 2018, figures tabled in parliament show. 

In reply to a question by PN MP Claudette Buttigieg, the Transport Minister tabled a document listing all contracts and direct orders awarded to advisors working for Transport Malta, Infrastructure Malta, Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation, Bureau of Air Accident Investigation and Malta Air Traffic Services.

The bulk of the contracts - over €10 million - were awarded by TM.

Some €1.3 million was paid over the past five years to the metro consultants Arup Group, with a hefty €740,000 paid in 2018 alone. 

Now-parliamentary secretary Andy Ellul, a lawyer by profession, was awarded a total of €80,000 in contracts, while former minister and Labour MP Edward Zammit Lewis was paid €1,322 in 2022.

And lawyer Chris Cilia, a former Labour candidate was awarded contracts worth €422,000 in the past five years. 

Road Safety Council chairperson Pierre Vella was paid €243,000 in the five years under review while lawyer Adreana Zammit, the daughter of former transport minister Ian Borg’s right-hand man Jesmond Zammit, was paid €192,000.

Zammit has not been awarded any contracts so far this year, the figures show. 

The data also shows how former MaltaToday editor Saviour Balzan was paid €25,200 while Labour's ONE TV presenter Karl Stagno Navarra was paid €18,000.

The deteriorating traffic situation has often made headlines in recent years, yet the transport authorities insist the works currently underway in a number of main thoroughfares will help address the problem.

In summer, leading figures in the tourism industry complained that persistent traffic jams and incessant roadworks were having a negative impact on tourism.