[WATCH] Maltese roads at a standstill as traffic blocks major roads

Maltese roads at a standstill as traffic blocks major roads • Video by Rachel Agius

Road closures and the habitual school traffic chaos brought vehicles to a standstill on major roads across the island earlier this morning.

Gridlocks have been reported in roads including Regional Road in both directions, Mdina Road in Attard and Qawra, with several on-going road-works in the areas aggravating the condition.

Commuters used social media to vent their frustration and reported being stuck in traffic for hours ahead of work.

Some 31,500 children returned to school yesterday morning as most public, private and church schools started the new scholastic year.

Recently a white paper on school opening hours and traffic congestion had recommended that schools open earlier to alleviate traffic congestions at rush hours. The document was received with a lot of criticism and the opposition criticising the recommendation, and insisting that it was further proof that the government didn’t in fact have a roadmap to tackle traffic, as it had promised.