Summer is now upon us and, with the Covid-19 pandemic practically behind us, Malta is seeking to restore its tourist market, which is vital to our economy.

But once again, the most visible product we have to offer is stifling heat, choking dust and deafening noise.

Once more, we have construction and roadworks going on all across the country, and this at a time when Malta should be spic and span, ready to receive an influx of excited tourists.

Instead, we are destined to offer only disappointment and regret.

Roadworks are taking place all across Malta and Gozo, particularly in popular tourist spots.

The Luqa junction project works are still in full swing and getting out of the airport feels like one big maze adventure. Tourists are greeted by roadworks, diggers, concrete barriers and endless diversions. Not exactly the welcome one expects when visiting a summer paradise, is it?

The same can be said for the St Julian’s and Sliema areas, where many roads are being dug up and resurfaced. A case in point is Birkirkara Hill, near our offices, where roadworks have been going on for over three weeks.

The area looks worse than a warzone, with even the slightest breeze kicking up dust clouds, and with mechanical diggers hammering all through the day.

Going to one of Malta’s most popular beaches – Gnejna – also proves to be quite the experience, as the Mgarr roadworks are still ongoing, albeit starting just before summer of 2021.

There are also roadworks taking place at Ghadira Bay, which is also one of the few roads leading to the Cirkewwa terminal and Gozo; and in the vicinity of Ghar Lapsi and the Hagar Qim temples.

Works are also still underway in St Andrew’s, on the road leading to the Coast Road and the northern part of the island.

And the Mriehel bypass project has also been dragging on for months, with no visible works carried out over the past weeks. The area near the MFSA building becomes a total chokepoint at rush hour.

All this is symptomatic of an administration that starts multiple projects simultaneously and takes months, if not years, to complete. It is the result of a lack of vision and planning.

While the improvement of our roads is something that is required, projects can surely be managed better and can be carried out more efficiently. It seems that this administration has undertaken too many projects at one go, with the result that there are not enough workers and equipment to handle the workload.

Traffic management is also a concept that seems to be alien to us.

In one case a few days ago, two major roads leading to St Julian’s were closed off on the same day, with motorists becoming stuck in traffic for hours, with no idea where to pass from. Motorists are thus ending up wasting hours stuck in traffic, in the stifling heat and tempers often flare.

Every year, government announces a stoppage of works in tourism areas – this year works are set to stop on 15 June. While this gives residents and tourists a bit of respite, it also means that many projects will remain unfinished until after summer. And with Labour’s seven-year roads pledge one can safely assume that more projects will be launched in the coming weeks and months, before the completion of the ones that are currently underway. We are destined, it seems, to several more years of works, dust and noise pollution.

One hopes that the new transport minister, Aaron Farrugia, will seek a change in direction and ensure that government does not bite off more than it can chew when it comes to road projects.

It would be more beneficial to the country, and the economy, if a smaller number of projects are launched, and they are managed more efficiently and completed in a timelier manner.

While everyone appreciates newer and better roads, no one likes to live in a perpetual construction zone. After all, this is not only about our tourism product but also about our health and general wellbeing.