Muscat slams new Park & Ride 'tax'

Labour leader Joseph Muscat this morning described the new tariff imposed on users of the Blata l-Bajda Park & Ride as a new tax.

Speaking on a One Radio interview, Dr Muscat said the government was continuing to impose financial burdens on the people. At the current rate, he said, the cost of living increase at the next Budget would have to be over €5 per week, and even that may not be enough for the workers to make ends meet.

At the same time, Dr Muscat, said, he understood the arguments of employers who said they could not afford such wage increases as this would undermine their competitiveness.

The situation, he said, was that the private sector was being made to pay for the government's excesses and inefficiency.

The new Park & Ride fare would cost users a minimum of €10 per week and €500 per year at least, he said. Yet when the Park & Ride was introduced, the government has said it would be free of charge because it would be paid for from revenue in the Valletta parking scheme.

Once the Valletta parking scheme was still there, why had the charge been imposed on the Park & Ride, Dr Muscat asked.

On divorce, Dr Muscat said he would not be party to any strategy aimed at ensuring there was no vote in Parliament. MPs should stand up and be counted, he said.

He reiterated that Dr Gonzi, both on second reading and at the end of the debate, should vote in favour of the Bill, since he was the head of the government and had a duty to respect the outcome of the referendum.