Pembroke residents have had enough of being disturbed by noisy high-power cars doing doughnuts and others stunts at the park and ride at all hours of the day and night.

This problem has been dragging on for over 20 years, one man who contacted Times of Malta out of desperation said.

“I just want to be able to go to a home where I can rest. This has been going on for too long. Us residents have complained to the police, the local council and Transport Malta but they keep pointing fingers at each other,” the man,  who asked not to be named for fear of consequences, complained.

He said the high-power cars used at the Pembroke park and ride do doughnuts, a manoeuvre that entails rotating the rear or front of the vehicle around the opposite set of wheels in a continuous motion, sometimes causing the tires to emit smoke. This was happening at all hours of the day and in the middle of the night.

“I am worried that someone will get hurt. There will be children playing there at times,” the man, who filmed an example of the cars, added.

By the time the police arrived, the cars were long gone

Pembroke mayor Dean Hili confirmed that this was an issue that had been going on for years, since before he was elected in 2013.

“The complaints are fairly regular. Besides being dangerous, the activity is a massive nuisance. Drivers come into the site, drag their cars, smoke up the whole area and make a general nuisance of themselves with all the noise. It’s very disturbing, particularly in the dead of night,” Hili said.

He said the council could not intervene since the park and ride area falls under the administration and direct ownership of Transport Malta.

“I have discussed the issue with several Transport Malta officials. People change and the issue remains untackled. We have been asking them to install cameras to deter wrongdoing first and foremost  and to organise the parking area with curbs so as to avoid having a massive patch of tarmac opened for such activity in a residential area. In June this year, we were assured the measures suggested will be implemented; the council has been chasing ever since,” he said.

Hili added the police were called in several times to stop the cars but by the time they arrived, the cars were long gone.

The police said when contacted they carry out frequent patrols in the area.

Questions sent to Transport Malta remained unanswered by the time of writing.