The entrepreneurs association, Ghaqda Mprendituri Maltin u Ghawdxin, said the new traffic management system for the capital was turning out to be seriously disadvantageous to businesses, especially small concerns, and called for a re-thinking about one aspect of it.

Under the new system now in operation in Valletta, delivery vehicles are allowed, upon request, to enter the city free of charge, as long as they make their deliveries between 1pm and 4pm. This was, in certain cases, serving more of an obstacle.

For instance, the association said, the majority of groceries closed between these hours. On the other hand, restaurants would, at the time, be having their prime period of the day. However, those businesses that have to make deliveries in Valletta would prefer to do so between 1 and 4pm, to avoid paying to enter the capital.

The association said this state of affairs was becoming a nuisance for the majority of businesses because, to receive deliveries, they were being forced to remain open, so having to pay extra wages. Restaurants and other catering establishments, on the other hand, could not cope with the deliveries during their busiest times of the day.

The association called for talks to consider the issue and find a remedy.