Mayor in lone stand against warden service

Birzebbuga mayor Joseph Farrugia yesterday threatened to resign from the Labour Party and take legal action as the first wardens set foot in his locality.

The Birzebbuga council is four square against the enforcement of a warden service, a decision taken by the Zurrieq joint committee, made up of representatives from the Birzebbuga, Luqa, Mqabba, Qrendi, Zurrieq, Kirkop and Safi local councils. Most of those serving on the joint committee were elected on behalf of the Labour Party. Committees have the right to overrule a council's decision and all localities in Malta have a contract with the local wardens except for Marsa and Birzebbuga.

But Mr Farrugia was adamant that wardens were not needed in his locality. He would do his utmost, he said, to bar them from operating.

"I insist. Nobody has the right to impose them on us. Who is meant to be in charge here? The local council or some joint committee?" the mayor charged.

If his demands are not heeded, Mr Farrugia, who has been at the helm of the council since its inception, said he was prepared to leave the Labour Party he represents and serve as an independent.

He insisted he was not against discipline and enforcement, to the extent that the local council would have no objection towards the introduction of green wardens.

But he feels that the two to three policemen manning the station in his locality were enough to maintain law and order.

Still, two wardens were actually deployed to Birzebbuga yesterday morning, prompting the intervention of Mr Farrugia.

"The wardens told me they were only surveying the area and they assured me they were not dishing out tickets," he said.

When contacted, Local Councils Association president Ian Micallef said the joint committee had the right at law to overrule the local council's decision. A precedent to the issue exists after the Birkirkara joint committee ordered wardens to monitor Dingli, despite the local council's objection.

Dr Micallef believes that every locality needs enforcement, not least Birzebbuga.

"Go there and you will see cars, even boats parked illegally, drivers without seat belts and so on. If the law isn't enforced we're going to become a banana republic."

Qrendi mayor Carmel Falzon, who chairs the joint committee, was unavailable for comment.