Residents' parking schemes are legal - Ministry

The Transport Ministry stressed in a long statement today that residents' parking schemes were legal as long as they were approved by the Transport Authority (ADT).

The ministry said with reference to media reports, that although an impression may have been given that only the residents' parking schemes at Victoria and Fontana were covered by law, the ADT had also approved residents' parking schemes at Mellieha, Pieta', Hamrun, San Gwann, St Paul's Bay, Floriana, Mosta, Sliema, Iklin, Swieqi, Msida, St Julians, Naxxar, Sta Venera, Balzan, Vittoriosa and Ta' Xbiex.

Therefore, anybody failing to observe the parking signage in those localities would be contravening the law.

The ministry quoted from various sections of the law to explain that it is the role of local councils to propose parking schemes, but these assume the force of law only when they are approved by the ADT.

It confirmed that there had been some local councils which introduced parking schemes without ADT approval, and said the Authority had acted for such parking schemes to be removed.

The ministry observed that some local tribunals had decided against local councils on the basis of a court judgement which found that the schemes were "discriminatory and therefore illegal". The ministry pointed out, however, that the court had not been asked to decide whether the schemes were discriminatory, but whether a local council had the legal authority, on its own to introduce such schemes.

The comments which the court decided to add to its judgement did not prejudice the legal state of the schemes or the legal power of the ADT to authorise them.