Council sees red over thumbs down to parking scheme

The Floriana council is to press ahead with a residential parking scheme even if the transport authority (ADT) runs over its proposal, mayor Publio Agius said yesterday.

The council was giving the authority a week to respond to its proposal, and if this was not forthcoming, it would go ahead with the scheme.

Speaking during a press conference yesterday, Mr Agius said the ADT's failure to reply to the proposal was being seen as retaliation for the council's lack of participation in discussions about the controlled vehicle access for Valletta and Floriana.

The council had submitted an application to convert 494 out of the 3,000-odd parking spaces in Floriana into residential parking two months ago.

The council's request - that non-Floriana residents may not park for more than two hours in 16 per cent of all the spaces available - was balanced and had taken into account the needs of the locals, Mr Agius said.

Other localities were given permission to set up such a scheme, he noted.

On Tuesday, Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett had referred to the proposal as "exorbitant" saying it should be scaled down.

Additionally, Mr Agius hit out at the Park and Ride scheme, which started operating on Monday, claiming it was shameful that the ADT had not informed the council about what was happening.

"We were marginalised and treated like a band club. The situation is intolerable."

The mayor said the Park and Ride was set up to satisfy the needs of Valletta and ignored Floriana.

He criticised the decision to synchronise the traffic lights which allow the shuttle buses to cross St Anne Street with the pelican crossing further up the road. He said people had got used to the lights changing on demand.

"We want this addressed," he said. The mayor said promises to refurbish the subway in St Anne Street had not been honoured.

Moreover, the council expressed its disapproval that adverts for the Park and Ride did not mention Floriana even though the site forms part of the locality.