Parking is the real problem

If you are sick and tired of reading about the proposed Qui-Si-Sana development you are not the only one. I am a Sliema resident and I cannot figure out how this one issue has got so much prominence when there are other issues which really concern us Sliemizi.

What really concerns Sliema residents is the difficulty they have in finding parking places. Try asking the residents living in the St James Capua Hospital area. This is just one example. I know of people who regularly receive parking tickets simply because when they arrive home from work they find nowhere to park. Precious time is lost driving along Sliema streets in an effort to find a space. Inevitably anxiety sets in.

The Sliema local council has taken action to resolve the matter and has applied to the Malta Transport Authority to set up a Resident Parking Zone. From what I have been told, the intention is to introduce it in a phased manner so that eventually all of Sliema will be a Resident Parking Zone. This is very good news and should be actively supported by all Sliema residents.

In a situation where there is already a short supply of parking spaces, the introduction of a Resident Parking Zone will make parking availability for non-residents difficult. It therefore seems fairly obvious that, for the Residents Parking Zone to operate effectively, there needs to be adequate off-street parking to meet the demand. For this reason, I support the construction of a car park at Qui-Si-Sana and further off-street parking at any other location which is appropriate for this purpose.

Some seafront residents have mounted a campaign against the Qui-Si-Sana development. Understandably, they are concerned about how this will affect their home. But do the views of this small group of residents reflect the views of the majority of Sliemizi? Definitely not. With parking likely to get more difficult, combined with the introduction of the Resident Parking Zone, the construction of car parks is not an option - it is a must.

The Ministry for Urban Development and Roads has recently announced that the roads around the Tigné peninsula will be upgraded. This will facilitate the flow of traffic thereby reducing congestion and time lost. In addition, it will allow for the diversion of traffic away from the commercial centre thereby resulting in a significant improvement in the quality of the environment in the commercial centre. These changes together with the introduction of the Residents Parking Zone and the provision of a car park should go a long way to improving the quality of life of all Sliemizi.