Getting into Valletta (1)

Discussions about the new traffic and parking scheme for Valletta are ongoing. People who work in Valletta complain about increased traffic and the big difficulties they have in finding a parking space. The free Park and Ride scheme and the commercial multi-storey car park are not enough, they claim.

I cannot agree. The number of people working in Valletta has not changed and neither has the number of parking spaces in the city. In the past few years even more parking options have been added outside of Valletta.

The only changes are in the number of reserved parking bays for residents, for some government departments and for politicians, while the flat fee for a V licence was abolished and replaced by another payment scheme which makes parking in Malta's capital a bit more expensive for regular visitors.

What people still leave out of the picture is the fact that Valletta is a Unesco listed world heritage site. Taking this into account, I would even ban traffic from Valletta completely.

I also believe that the Park and Ride service should not remain free of charge considering the comfortable and cheap service it provides to the public.

Of course, people working in Valletta need to get to work. My recommendations are:

1. Improve the system of public transport. Make it cheaper, more reliable and more frequent.

2. Create and offer Park and Ride options even further away from Valletta.

3. Reintroduce a main line train or tram service, e.g. from Rabat right into Valletta via Attard, Birkirkara, Hamrun and Floriana.

4. Reintroduce affordable shuttle boat services connecting the Three Cities, Sliema and Msida to Valletta.

5. Provide separate express ways for bicycles heading into Valletta, as can be found in many European cities.

6. Various companies or departments in Valletta could offer transport to their employees as is already common with many factories and their workers across the islands.

Stop complaining and start lobbying for alternative options!