Wardens 'target' delivery vans

The Malta Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise yesterday said it was concerned at the increased use of traffic wardens and closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in village centres and complained about parking tickets being given to delivery vans.

"The Chamber wholeheartedly supports law and order and the enforcement of same, however it calls on the government and local councils to be more realistic and enforce our laws in a reasonable manner," it said in a statement.

The chamber said parking spaces were becoming ever more scarce and local councils were frequently utilising traffic wardens and CCTV cameras to ensure that the streets were kept relatively free of traffic congestion and illegally parked vehicles.

"However, it appears that this system is also targeting delivery vehicles, which in many cases are left with no choice but to park illegally for a short while to unload merchandise into shops and other commercial outlets," it said.

In the past weeks and months, the chamber said, it had received numerous complaints from its members that, in some instances, delivery vehicles laden with heavy goods have had to be parked more than 100 metres away from a retail outlet in order to avoid a contravention.

The chamber urged the authorities to address the issue urgently as businesses, and thus the economy, could ill afford "this detrimental added cost".

Meanwhile, the chamber said it continues to insist that parking tickets be issued by the authorities in person or left affixed to the vehicle at the time of the offence and not mailed several days after the alleged offence.