In a statement, the FOI said that it was invited to attend a consultation meeting on the forthcoming European Car Free Day, which is also being enforced in various localities in Malta and Gozo.

FOI executive Cecilia Vella attended this meeting, which was held at the Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment. During her address, Ms Vella clarified that although the Federation is not against the principle of a car free day, it is against the disruption such an event could cause to industry, not just in view of the manufacturing process, but also on the distribution network of the manufactured products, particularly consumer goods.

Furthermore, the FOI official stressed that although no traffic restrictions were being proposed at industrial estates, manufacturing establishments could still be indirectly affected by this initiative as it could put additional pressures on employers to grant vacation leave in addition to the public holiday that is to be held the preceding day.

This could negatively affect the production lines of these manufacturing establishments. In view of this, the FOI official repeated the appeal the Federation had voiced last year that this car free day should have been scheduled for 21 September, a public holiday, so that the disruption would have been limited to the public holiday.

Following is a list of the roads that will be closed to traffic at different times in different locations.