MP calls for new thinking on Valletta parking

Labour MP Charles Buhagiar criticised the government's parking scheme for Valletta when the House of Representatives on Wednesday started debating a Bill amending the Motor Vehicles Act.

The Bill was introduced by Transport Minister Jesmond Mugliett. Its main purpose is to stop abuses in the importation of cars disguised as commercial vehicles and the abusive use of K-registered vehicles for long lease or private use.

Mr Buhagiar said the Opposition would support this Bill because it was in favour of any measure aimed at curbing abuse.

He observed that before Malta joined the EU there was an impression given that upon accession Maltese people could buy a car directly from other EU countries, by-passing the local agent. Reality now proved different.

However there was a thrust to import second hand cars, which were not really second hand but are merely passed off as that, to the detriment of car importers. He was not sure that this bill tackled this issue.

It was good that the Transport Authority was calling in owners of Y and K-plate vehicles, which are meant to be chauffer-driven vehicles or vehicles for short lease, but were instead being leased for long periods. This Bill sought to close this loophole. However, there were cases where the traffic directorate was being too strict with the honest owners.

Turning to law enforcement, Mr Buhagiar mentioned cases where some people were placing for-sale signs on cars parked on the side of a road. Such a practice was unfair competition for regular car dealers.

Turning to a different subject, he said the concept of the park and ride was a good one but not enough thinking had gone into the proposal for Valletta.

Changes in the road network to Valletta would create bottlenecks, he warned, and the new scheme would not solve Valletta's problems. Furthermore, better use could have been made of the land at Blata l-Bajda, where parking would only be above ground.

He said the Opposition agreed with the pedestrianisation of the core of Valletta. However the proposed parking tariffs would scare away shoppers and the main aim of the reform - to make Valletta more popular - would be defeated. The system could also make life difficult for those who, out of necessity, had to go to Valletta or Floriana, such as Boffa hospital visitors and people visiting their elderly relatives in both localities.

With the proposed scheme the government would be making Lm4 million instead of the Lm1 million revenue from the V-licence. Indeed, was the whole idea really a ploy for the government to make more money?

One of the arguments being made in favour of the reform was that more people would be encouraged to visit Valletta during the evenings since the V-licence would be dropped. If that was the case, what was keeping the government from removing the need for cars entering Valletta to have a V-licence after, say, 6 pm?

Labour's solutions, he said, was to create more parking spaces, including underground facilities, introduce a residents' parking scheme and improve public transport.

Palace Square, Freedom Square and the site of the old opera house were among the areas identified for underground parking. There could also be another underground car park in Floriana below the terraces of the football ground, Mr Buhagiar said.

Parliamentary Secretary Edwin Vassallo said this bill would align Maltese legislation with that of the EU while curbing abuse.

Mr Vassallo expressed concern over the large number of vehicles on Malta's roads and called for short stay parking facilities to be introduced in a uniform manner across Malta, especially to benefit deliverymen who were being repeatedly booked.

Mr Vassallo remains in posssession of the House.