Parking schemes, commerce and public transport

As more and more towns start implementing residential parking schemes, access by motor vehicles will be increasingly restricted. This can be considered a good thing as the alternative would be to use public transport, which would reduce congestion but not necessarily pollution as commercial vehicles will still belch out noxious emissions.

Initially the response would simply be that motorists will take their custom to other towns with parking facilities or not so restricted parking. Local councils which recognise that business in their locality can increase their community's wealth, could reap benefits by enticing motorists and consumers who abandoned places like Sliema by planning to set up parking areas just out of town. Maltese towns are small enough that it would take no more than a 600-metre walk to reach their centre.

If residential parking schemes become the norm, it will mean that people can park their cars in their locality, but not anywhere else! In the scheme of things, it suits the current policy of implementing so-called "positive traffic management measures" which mean restricting use of private cars and wider use of public transport. The latter will be run by a "conscientious" private operator enjoying an effective monopoly. And if vehicle circulation is being further restricted, is it not the right of motorists to claim back more and more of the annual circulating fee since circulation of vehicles is being diminished?

That said, a solution would be to establish more multi-storey car parks. These could be financed by the (extorted) contributions given to Mepa (as part of the parking scheme contribution) of developments. Contributions which were swallowed up into a bottomless pit to finance a new parliament building. If property developers are happy to sit on thousands of unsold units let them enjoy it.

If they would like to have a free tip, they should start considering developing properties with largish footprints into multi-storey car parks strategically placed across large towns. A 1,500 square metre footprint with seven parking floors can easily generate €130,000 a year. An apartment development on the same footprint would maybe allow 16 apartments to be built which would cost more to finish and would in theory bring in more cash if they are sold. But that is the crux of the matter - "if they are sold"!

Commerce is directly related to mobility. I hope that public transport reform will lead more people to consider it as a viable alternative to private transport. I also hope that public transport will win over commuters on its merits and not on draconian policies meant only to force commuters onto buses while the government still profits from the most obscene passenger car taxation system in the EU, taking into consideration the Maltese standard of living.