The GSD has reacted to the recent traffic jams on Devil’s Tower Road, saying that traffic congestion since the opening of the tunnel “has significantly deteriorated and not improved.”

A statement continued:

“The completion of a tunnel over a decade and a half in the making was intended to mitigate issues of traffic congestion associated with crossing the border with Spain. The Government have had 12 years to consider alternative routes, intelligent road infrastructure, entry points into the tunnel and mitigation measures to alleviate build up at certain points. Over some days now we have seen huge tail backs and segregation of the new road with hundreds of cones set out over kilometres,  many of which have been damaged by drivers and are strewn about the place. The Government have had over a decade and failed monumentally at getting this right once and for all.

 “Since the opening of Kingsway Road, the reality is that traffic congestion has significantly deteriorated and not improved. The Government have pleaded "teething issues" in its defence,  but every possible measure should have been taken given the decade long preparation period to avoid the almost daily chaos on our roads. People are rightly angry and fed up with a Government who have lost the ability to properly administer the affairs of our community.

“The current arrangements forces airport drop offs, supermarket shoppers, residents and those seeking to spend time in Spain to queue together. Where are the alternatives during high volume periods? Why has the Government not provided for traffic mitigation or contingencies? What the arrangements for emergency vehicles who need to navigate this new road?

“We will, no doubt, always have some issues with volume and Spanish boarder checks which may impact on traffic flow but the Government have had 12 years to plan, stress test and provide sophisticated and dynamic solutions to the massive congestion we have seen since Kingsway Road has been opened.

“It will be recalled that the Government announced the opening of Kingsway tunnel with much fanfare but it is fast becoming part of the Government's legacy of exceeding poor planning when it comes to traffic and transport. We all remember the Linewall Road debacle which resulted in the former transport minister quickly moved to another ministry and a contrite apology by the Chief Minister.”

Shadow Transport and Environment Minister Elliott Phillips said:

 "This Government is simply unable to manage traffic and transport effectively and with over a decade in the planning, they fail on every count to provide a viable solution to the daily traffic chaos on our streets. I  cannot believe that in the 21st century that the Government cannot implement a safe and state of the art technological solution to daily transport gridlock at the border and the surrounding area. Gibraltar can now be embarrassingly known to the world as "Grid lock Rock" under this tired and out of touch administration.

"Without an urgent significant rethink of alternatives as to how we operate this new road infrastructure,  residents of Beach View and other developments, supermarket users, airport travellers and border commuters will face a summer of discontent not to mention the significant impact that exhaust fumes will have on the health of those working and living in the immediate area. After £34 Million and 15 years in the making there can be no excuse for the abject failure of transport and traffic policy and we call on the Government to take urgent steps towards an immediate solution before another traffic disaster is recorded on the GSLP’s tombstone."