Confused councils

I have been a resident of Sliema for the past 30 years. Year after year for government after government, the parking problem has always been recurrent. Between January 14-18 from 7 a.m. till 7 p.m. residents of St Joseph Street were asked to remove their cars from the road due to pavement works. During the same period identical signs were also placed in Manwel Dimech Street adjacent to St Joseph Street.

No need to go through great lengths to begin to imagine the hassle this caused residents when it came to parking.

I contacted the local council to query this and was greeted with an arrogant lady who was surprised that I phoned to complain - I should be thankful that such work was being carried out, she said. She also denied having anything whatsoever to do with the works being carried out in Manwel Dimech Street, which was an issue I should take up with some other department.

I queried one of the workmen. The answer I got was even more frustrating. The signs in Manwel Dimech Street were put up for the convenience of these workmen to enable them to park their trucks. No work was therefore being carried out on the pavements of that road. He also informed me that in St Joseph Street there was only the pavement of one side of the road being replaced whereas the other one would be left in its sad sorry state for yet who knows how many years.