Transport minister on SiGMA traffic: ‘Events like this will result in congestion’

Commuters faced hours of traffic on Tuesday evening, but Transport minister Chris Bonett said an event like the SiGMA conference that attracts thousands of people will result in congestion.

Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, Bonett said the traffic management system at the Marsa Maritime Hub improved over the past year. Nonetheless, with “around 40,000 people” congregating in a single place, Bonett said traffic is going to be inevitable.

“An event of this kind, with thousands of people, it’s like a football match held abroad, it will result in congestion. I sympathise with all those who were stuck in traffic, I was also stuck in traffic. I wanted to go on the ground and understand what was happening.”

He attacked Opposition leader Bernard Grech for “trying to score political points” when he uploaded a photo of the traffic on Tuesday night.

Grech left a list of traffic measures that a Nationalist government would implement in the comment section of his post, but Bonett said these measures had been brought up weeks ago.

Later in the session, Nationalist MP Graziella Attard Previ suggested using sea transport to alleviate the traffic. Bonett said that he was informed that sea transport was already being used at the event, but welcomedc the possibility of increasing the availability in future conferences.

"A conference like this that puts Malta on the map of the gaming world and brings a lot of work and wealth to people... I think we can all agree that this conference is good for Malta."

Commuters were stuck in traffic for hours on Tuesday as the yearly SiGMA conference kicked off at the Mediterranean Maritime Hub in Marsa.

Many drivers reported that their usual travel times had more than doubled due to the traffic.

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