Councils joint committee denies ticket quotas charge

The local councils joint committee for Vittoriosa, Cospicua, Fgura, Senglea, Kalkara, Marsascala, Xghajra and Zabbar denied it had given any instructions over ticket quotas to wardens or that it forced anyone to do so.

It was replying to claims by the General Workers' Union which has said that wardens in certain localities were illegally being instructed to issue a certain number of tickets per hour.

The union 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.

In a statement, joint committee chairman Anthony DeGiovanni said the committee agreed that there should not be any quotas in the issuing of tickets.

Mr DeGiovanni also deplored what he described as "misinformation" which the GWU could have been supplied with by people who were trying to put others in a bad light in order to cover up their shortcomings and inefficiency.

Mr DeGiovanni also invited the GWU to reveal its sources.

The local government ministry has instructed the local councils department and the police to investigate the claims made by the union.

In another statement yesterday, the GWU reiterated its claim that pressure was being put on local wardens by public officials, placing the wardens in an embarrassing situation.