The Labour Party has filed a motion in Parliament calling on the Government to cancel the call for tenders to privatise car parks.

The motion, which was filed by Labour transport spokesman Joe Sammut, says the Government should embark on a wide-ranging consultation process that would include local councils, constituted bodies and the public.

Earlier this week, Transport Malta published calls for tenders to operate 34 public car park sites currently administered by licensed car park attendants. The tender called for car parks to be open all the time with proper security. Fees would be set by operators, who must have insurance to cover third party damages. Contracts will be awarded for 10 years.

However, Dr Sammut said this move could have a negative effect on residents, families and businesses. It gave no indication of the tariffs, which were going to be established by the operator, so there was no safeguard for the consumer.

Once the consultation process was over, Parliament would be informed about the feedback to decide on the way forward, the motion says.

However, the Transport Ministry said Labour’s motion would put parkers, whose jobs were among the most precarious, in a worse situation.

They had no job security because they depended on a licence that could be withdrawn whenever the government decided to do so. They had no protection and depended on the Government’s “good grace”, the ministry said.

Together with the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin, the union that represents the parkers, the Government wanted to change this situation and give them job security through a 10-year contract on each car park. At present, a number of car parks were already being privately run and the tender only concerned parking in already existing car parks – meaning residential parking was not affected.

No fees had been established as none existed at the moment, the ministry said.