Residents' parking scheme in force in parts of St Julians

In the coming days the St Julians council will start enforcing a residents' parking scheme in Paceville and the Gardens, a move that has finally received everyone's blessings.

The scheme had sparked controversy in March last year when the council had forged ahead and set up road signs in the majority of streets in St Jullians without prior consultation with the business community, just before the local election was held.

The road signs were eventually removed and the debate subsided, but soon after the local election the council re-opened discussions internally.

Council vice-mayor Karl Gouder explained when contacted that the council had held meetings with residents, the business community and the Malta Transport Authority (ADT) and a solution had been found that balanced the different needs of the community.

"We tried to strike a balance. Of course, it's hard to please everyone, but I think this scheme is the most acceptable one," he said.

The scheme was completely revised and it now only includes streets in Paceville and the Gardens. The parking time limit for non-residents has also been extended to two and a half hours, as opposed to the initial plan of 90 minutes, which had been the major bone of contention.

The new scheme was run on a trial basis eight months ago so that any teething troubles could be ironed out.

"One of the problems that kept cropping up was that residents who, for example, drove a company car which was registered elsewhere, were being issued with parking tickets," he said.

With this in mind the council has printed special passes for residents who can prove that they live in St Julians, this in an attempt to curb abuse.

"It's not a dictatorial system and we will also issue temporary passes to those who spend the night taking care of their elderly parents. The idea is not to make life difficult for people but easier," Mr Gouder added.

Over the past weeks St Julians residents were called in to collect their passes. All pass holders, whether they hail from Balluta or Ta' Giorni, can make use of the residents' parking bays in Paceville and the Gardens.