Recently the ADT approved a number of residents' parking schemes in various localities, including Sliema where I live. I find such schemes, including those which have been operated for a number of years in the same or other localities, discriminatory on two counts.

First, all car owners are required to pay an annual circulation licence fee which is now based on the vehicle's emissions or engine size. The structure of the fees leads one to understand that all drivers are equal where road usage is concerned. Such fees do not grant preferential treatment to a particular category of vehicles or owners. The residents' parking schemes on the other hand distinguish between residents and non-residents. The latter are treated as "second class" citizens when visiting localities other than where they reside. The "first class" citizens are provided with privileged parking spaces without being required to pay any sort of fee. This is discriminatory. Why am I considered a second class citizen in other localities? Do not such schemes violate my rights as enshrined in the Constitution?

Secondly, residents who have no garage are now given a parking space for free. Again, such schemes are discriminatory - from this perspective against all garage owners. This further strengthens my argument that "first class" citizens should be required to pay a fee for parking in bays where residents are given priority.

I think that a revision of residents' parking schemes is necessary before all drivers are confined to use their cars in their locality only.