Pietà car park fees (1)

I do not agree with Anthony Galea that fees being charged by the Pietà car park are too high (January 8). Although I understand that Mr Galea made use of the car park to visit a close relative at St Luke's Hospital and not to enjoy himself at Paceville, people must understand that the costs to operate a car park do not change because it is situated in Paceville or close to St Luke's Hospital.

The Pietà council, of which I was mayor until March of last year, took over the car park in order to offer a better service. The council pays rent, it charges and pays VAT, it engaged a contractor that invested in equipment and has a payroll.

I find it hard to believe that Mr Galea sincerely prefers to leave his car in the hands of a "private individual". Before the Pietà council took over the administration of the car park in question cars were burnt and it was a sanctuary for drug abuse, muggings and other criminal activity. When I was mayor I did something about it.

However, what most struck me in Mr Galea's letter was that he was "surprised about how the MLP, which usually criticises whatever the government does, has not uttered one word of criticism and in favour of common sense". The reply is very easy. Today there is a Labour mayor and a Labour majority in the council and they are actually running the car parks both out and inside St Luke's Hospital. When I was mayor I received endless criticism from Labour for charging for the use of the car park. I was attacked on the Labour media when the council introduced a new parking scheme throughout the locality.

However, Mr Galea should learn that the MLP is a hypocritical party. The new Labour majority in Pietà are adopting the very policies that I had introduced and they criticised. With all the criticism and attacks that I received, Labour in power have realised that not charging fees for parkers in the car parks would mean that the residents would have to subsidise Mr Galea and many others. My policy to introduce residents' parking schemes allows the residents some chance of parking within their vicinity and the only criticism that residents have lodged is that there are not enough. Therefore, Labour cannot distance themselves from any responsibility in administering the car parks, since they are the administrators.

I believe that the change in majorities in some localities such as in Pietà have given an opportunity for voters to see how Labour will act if they win the next elections. Clearly their actions are too distant from their rhetoric.