This, however, was not the only instance. In a recent funeral, attended by many from Heritage Malta’s higher echelons, the hearse stopped twice – once at the Msida roundabout when a replacement hearse was hurriedly pressed into action, and after Mass in a Gzira road.

The hearse which was parked opposite the church in Valletta on Friday seems to have had even a faulty handbrake because it had a wooden block placed behind its rear right wheel to prevent it from sliding backwards during the church service, Maltastar reported.

The unseemly spectacle took place as the cortege was about to leave for the cemetery. The hearse was started up but choked up immediately and, despite repeated attempts did not start for several minutes.

This long, embarrassing wait even got the better of the old priest who was to perform the last rites; he got out of his car when it looked as if the distressing situation was going to be prolonged.

Finally, onlookers stopped the traffic coming up Merchants Street from the St Elmo end and the hearse driver was helped to manoeuvre the vehicle downwards in reverse, then turn down into St Nicholas Street and start the car on gear as it went downhill, in a wrong way direction.

The ancient 1960s model hearse eventually started and the funeral cortege proceeded normally.

This spectacle would have been hilarious had it not been such a very sad occasion, Maltastar commented. Indeed the grieving relatives and friends had to look on incredulously and helplessly while this was going on.

Maltastar said the funeral hearse service in Malta is operated by a closed shop of about only 10 hearse owners who have a complete monopoly of the market. This monopoly has been protected by successive governments even though the hearses are now of vintage age. The situation does not seem set to change despite EU membership.