Arbitrary taxation of tourists

I refer to Dr Mario Tabone-Vassallo's letter (The Sunday Times, July 28). As a tourist to Malta of many years' standing, witnessing many changes and developments, I have no sympathy for St Paul's Bay council. The whole St Paul's Bay/Bugibba area is solely dependent upon tourists and the council should therefore take great care to see they are satisfied; after all, there is greater competition from global tourist resorts and how else can you expect repeat business?

St Paul's/Bugibba is full of apartment blocks, restaurants and bars but mostly small family businesses, all unco-ordinated, looking after their own interests. They are friendly if you are staying or frequenting their premises but not so if you don't. This has been allowed to develop to the stage that the true character of Malta and the 'friendly Maltese' has gone.

This leads me back to Dr Tabone-Vassallo's letter about arbitrary taxation. St Paul's Bay council must take full responsibility for the planning and what can only be described as the parking-lottery fiasco. The only difference is that in a lottery you have a slight chance of winning, in the parking-lottery you have a very good chance of losing (Lm10)!

There are inconsistencies everywhere: parking is allowed in parking bays on corners and on roundabouts; many roads without markings or warning signs - a traffic warden's dream.

Unfortunately by the time the tourist returns from his outing, parking spaces are at a premium. Where can they park? You got it: lottery-road.

Unfortunately the inconsistencies don't stop there: The wardens are renowned for targeting tourist 'K' plate cars, issuing them with tickets detailed in Maltese only!

But where to pay and how to pay is in English, with the possibility of paying by credit card in English only. Is this on purpose? The tourist cannot understand what they did wrong except that they must pay!

Where else would you find such inconsistencies if this were not intended to be a tax on tourists?

I have first-hand experience: our 'K' plate attracted a parking ticket for 'parkjar matul 5 metri minn kantuniera jew liwja'

Neither the car behind nor the cars on the opposite corner received such a ticket. Our friendly traffic warden chose not to 'tax' the local cars.

As Dr Tabone-Vassallo stated, "one can only fool most of the people some of the time...". I will add to this... but tourists only once.