Wardens 'under pressure to issue tickets' - GWU

Wardens in certain localities were illegally being instructed to issue a number of tickets per hour, the General Workers' Union claimed in a statement yesterday.

The union's professional services section secretary Karmenu Vella has instructed wardens to ignore such orders given to them by officials of joint committees, authorised officers, field officers and other officials including mayors and local councillors.

The union said the instructions were creating serious problems for the wardens and exposing them to unnecessary risks.

Wardens were under so much pressure to issue tickets that they went out of their way to do so and some had been repeatedly attacked by irate people who felt they had been given tickets unjustly, the union claimed.

"Wardens who fail to issue the required number of tickets are being given warnings or removed from the locality," the union said.

Wardens have now been directed by the union to issue tickets only when these are warranted and when contraventions take place in their presence, and not when instructed to by joint committees or other officials.

The union said it was going to ask Justice Minister Austin Gatt to investigate and intervene to stop such abuses.

Contacted yesterday, Dr Gatt said: "If proof is given to the government that wardens are being given a quota as to the mumber of tickets to issue, action would be taken as we had made it clear from the outset that no such instructions can be given."