Traffic in Victoria

Someone has decided to extend the limited parking zones within Gozo's capital city to include streets which had been left untouched by this system until now. Thank you very much. Also, thanks for reducing the period of time that one is allowed to park in many streets to 90 minutes!

These timed parking zones were introduced as a 'trial', which was to last until June of this year. I don't think I was the only commuter who was hoping against hope that, come June, those signs would disappear and things revert back to normal.

However, just in time when the number of cars within the city is bound to increase further, someone probably smelled the opportunity to get some more money into the coffers by means of dishing out parking fines. The fact that those were issued the very next day after the new signs had been installed gives more food to this suspicion.

I would like to challenge that 'someone' to try the following: Choose any morning at your convenience and park a car wherever you find a legal space inside Victoria. There is one condition, the car must not have a special permit to park within a timed parking zone.

Be warned, though: don't try the car park if you arrive after 8 a.m., because it will be hopelessly packed. Now, shop around for whatever it is you would normally go to Victoria for. Walk back to your car. Have you broken the law?

Chances are you have, either by getting too late to your car or by sending a member of the family back to alter the time of arrival on your parking clock. Of course, there is also the possibility that you will have dropped a couple of items from your shopping list. Quite frustrating, isn't it?

One positive change, from a driver's point of view, is the limitation of restricted parking to mornings only. This will come as a relief at least to shoppers and other visitors.

But the only real solution to the traffic and parking problem in Victoria is to keep out unnecessary traffic altogether, by drastically improving the public transport. Here, I am not talking about the quality or price, but the frequency of trips. There are just two afternoon trips in the case of the entire western part of the island, one at around 4 p.m. and the last (!) one at 5.30 p.m. This is simply not enough.

Please don't tell me that there is no demand. Of course, at present, nobody in their right minds would go to work by bus if they know they won't get back home. I know what I am talking about: A bus stop is situated practically in front of my house, and another one very close to my place of work. But if, for some reason, I didn't manage to get out of the office in time, I would be stranded.

The principle that dictates 'no supply without demand' provides for a vicious circle that can only be broken by the authorities. Why not start with a survey among the workforce (and shoppers too) in Victoria to find out whether they would consider making use of public transport if it were more efficient than at present? Then make the necessary improvements, simultaneously with a massive publicity campaign.

I am sure in the outcome there can be no losers but only winners, namely commuters, visitors to the capital, not to mention Victoria itself.