The ordeal an ambulance faced to squeeze past tables and chairs on a Valletta street on Tuesday reignited a debate about the taking up of public space by restaurants and cafes.
On Tuesday, newly formed independent party Residenti Beltin uploaded footage of an ambulance making its way down Republic Street.
"An ambulance that was near M&S had to struggle to find an accessible route... afterwards it still found obstacles. Is it time to hold those establishments responsible? The local council? The authorities such as the Malta Tourism Authority and the Planning Authority? The ministers? Who?" it asked on social media.
Social media users noted that the placing of street furniture could, in such instances, cause the worsening of the debilitating condition of patients who need urgent care.
Residents and visitors of the capital often flag the chaotic situation of tables and chairs on Valletta streets.
Last year, tables and chairs on Merchants Street triggered a judicial protest by the University of Malta against the Valletta local council.
In the judicial protest, the university argued that the area on Merchants’ Street had descended into chaos from morning until late evening.
The street furniture, the university had complained, served private commercial interests and not only spoiled the ambience but also impacted the historical, artistic and educational value of the old university.
The current situation is also negatively impacting the “intrinsic value” of the capital city which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it had added.
Meanwhile, residents have also raised concern about the street furniture marring religious traditions such as Holy Week processions.
Last year, volunteers who took part in the Good Friday procession complained they had to wade through tables and chairs while loud music disrupted the Seven Church visitations on Maundy Thursday.
Last month, Times of Malta reported the police are calling for a review of licensing conditions that allow catering establishments to encroach on public space to avoid a repeat of last Easter’s disruption of religious processions.