Elderly resident laments decision to remove reserved parking bay

An elderly woman yesterday filed an application for the issue of a warrant of prohibitory injunction against the St Julians local council and the Malta Transport Authority.

Violet Vella asked the First Hall of the Civil Court to stop the council and the ADT from carrying out any works in the reserved parking bay next door to her home.

She also asked the court to prohibit both the council and the ADT from removing the signs that marked the parking bay.

Ms Vella said she lived in Birkirkara Hill, St Julians. She was 83 years old and had mobility problems.

In 1993 the National Commission Persons with Disability had given her a permit for a reserved parking bay near her home, as well as a handicapped persons parking permit.

However, on April 24, Ms Vella was informed by a police officer that she had to move her car from the reserved parking bay by not later than 10 a.m. the following day. She was told that construction works on a pavement on her reserved parking bay were to begin on the instructions of the council and the ADT.

The council and the ADT had also engaged workmen to remove the signs that indicated it was a reserved bay.

Ms Vella told the court she had been told to leave her car in another reserved zone further down the road. This would cause her to suffer serious problems for she would have to use a flight of steps to reach her car.

By removing the reserved parking bay from outside her home, Ms Vella would be imprisoned in her house and would not be able to go to hospital for medical car.

Ms Vella said the actions on the part of the council and the ADT were illegal and abusive and were aimed at satisfying the commercial interests of businesses in the road.