Time-controlled parking

I wish I were not writing this in my capacity as executive secretary of the Pietà local council, so that I could answer Peter Xuereb (Prejudicial Pietà Parking, June 28) in the same vein. Unfortunately, in the words of Alfred Lord Tennyson, "Ours not to make reply. Ours not to reason why. Ours but to do and die". Consequently, I shall have to be brief and to the point and this will be my final contribution about the matter.

Mr Xuereb is misinformed. Wardens do not issue contraventions to cars parked in front of garages, unless specifically requested to by the owner of the garage. This is common knowledge.

He is also misinformed about the existence of time-controlled parking zones in other councils. If instead of dedicating his precious time to questioning my mathematical capabilities, Mr Xuereb took a short drive around the Sliema, San Gwann, Iklin, Naxxar, Qawra, Bugibba, St Paul's Bay and Mellieha areas, he would have discovered entire lengths of streets with time-controlled parking zones ranging from 15 minutes to one hour, that favour residents. Indeed in one council that I know of, even parking bays for the disabled are time controlled. These zones have been in existence, some for over two years now, and I do not recall anybody ever complaining about them.

I stand by what I had originally stated. I do not see what the fuss is all about. The Pietà local council has not in any way reduced the number of parking bays in the locality but is regulating the use thereof. If the time-controlled parking bays in Pietà are used for the purpose for which they were created, i.e. for short-term parking for residential parking, other parking bays will be made available for long-term parking. Read my lips! It's like playing musical chairs!