Mosta council was discussing upgrading of car park without knowledge of privatisation plans - councillor
Mosta council was, up to a fortnight ago, holding talks with the Resources Ministry on an upgrading of the car park near the church, only to suddenly learn that the car park was earmarked for privatisation by Transport Malta, Labour councillor Alex Muscat said.
He said that the Resources Ministry officials never indicated that the site might be privatised.
Mosta council was unaware of plans to privatise the locality's car parkMr Muscat was one of the speakers at a press conference given by Labour councillors from various localities where the government had planned to privatise car parks.
The press conference was presided by Rabat Mayor Sandro Craus.
Mr Craus complained that the privatisation process had been planned behind the councils' back and the councils wanted it cancelled.
He argued that responsibility for the car parks should be handed to the councils. While Rabat council had no issue with private sector involvement in the management of the car parks, he felt that no charges should be imposed for residents.
Vince Borg, a councillor from Floriana, shared his views, adding that charges should also not imposed on those using health centres.
The privatisation plans for 32 car parks were announced by Transport Malta but were suspending on instructions from the government pending a debate in parliament.
The Opposition has called for the debate to be held with urgency. The Speaker will rule on the matter this evening.
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A Spiteri
Oct 8th 2012, 19:10
this should be the way...car parks handed over local councils!
E. Azzopardi
Oct 8th 2012, 18:46
The most important thing was never mentioned below. And that is "communication".
I shudder to think how much money is wasted in this country because of lack or poor communication. But this was never one of our forte with all the money being spent on education. And it seems to me that it will not improve. We have not made any progress in the last decades.
B. Storace
Oct 8th 2012, 18:14
Pay and Display......................that is the way forward if being charged to park one's car can be called progress; still we have to remain realistic and realise that nothing is for free. So, introduce Pay and Display all over the Island....in present car parks...............on the streets .................and by the seaside. This ensure that the wardens have something to keep them busy all day every day.
Deo Catania
Oct 8th 2012, 19:02
Since when is parking free? ever heard of something called road tax?
Saviour Aquilina
Oct 8th 2012, 18:04
No one complains or say anything about the Hamrun Car Park. It was Privatisation and Joesph Muscat opened it. So for that ok and others no??? It will be like that that PL will work IF he be in POWER??????
Joseph Grech Attard
Oct 8th 2012, 18:12
Local councils want the car parks to be under their scrutiny, as the one in Hamrun, and not ALL Malta car parks to be under Transport Malta, as GonziPN tried to do.
Saviour Aquilina
Oct 8th 2012, 18:27
Mr greach Attard, if I`m wrong sorry, but Hamrun one Is TOTALLY PRIVITE, and Hamrun Council take rent or little part.....Check please.
P Mangion
Oct 8th 2012, 18:40
Mr. Aquilina, the Hamrun car park, formerly known as "is-suq" had approximately 30 parking spaces most of which would have been taken up all day by shop owners in the vicinity and this was not managed neither by a TM authorised parking attendant nor a private organisation.
the Hamrun Local Council administration requested to take over the lease of the land from the Central Government to develop a multi-purpose council administration centre with underlying multi-level car park facility.
the immediate benefit was that the council could operate from an administration centre worthy of its locality which includes access to physically impaired visitors and avoided the ever increasing rent of its previous office.
this car park, with all the amenities one would expect from modern state of the art car parks, including air ventilation, fire suppression and enhanced security, increased the parking capacity from 30 to 160 spaces to the benefit of the whole community and those visiting relatives or for shopping activities. Such investment could/would have never warranted that the car spaces be given out for free.
therefore there is no ground on which the Hamrun car park can ever be compared to 34 car parks being leased to private entities. had the stretch of land know as "is-suq" been kept as a 30 space car park and leased to private entities, than yes one could compare.
Francis Attard
Oct 8th 2012, 17:55
The responsibility of the car parks should have been granted to the local councils the day they were introduced.
GL Calleja
Oct 8th 2012, 17:46
All should pay for the parking with no exception. This is not a charity case and there should not be any perks for anybody.You pay, you stay. We cannot keep running this country with business as usual. These are different times, hard times and the politics have to stop. It is about time to separate the men from the boys and act accordingly. In other words cut the crap and stop the politics. These are not the 50s and 60s and everything goes. These are trying times and one way or the other everything is exposed, the public has become smarter and they seem to know when they are being taken for s ride. They have been on that horse for a long time and it must stop. If there is no trust in the government, then we need new leadership, whether it be PN, PL or AD. We need new people in office who know the times, we need politicians who the public can trust and not wonder what our government is up to next. We need a government for the people and not the other way around. It is time for our government to change it's behaviour. Ms Therese Comodini Cachia was right in saying " Bring back our social realities".
anthony bartolo
Oct 8th 2012, 22:54
we need new people in office...............how about you giving some leadership.You seem to have all the qualities of SOCIALIZM.
John Zahra
Oct 8th 2012, 17:45
As if people were not already paying to use these spaces. mela qed nghixu fil-qamar jew? Were the parkers staying there doing it for fun or to get a sun tan? get real people. I always paid in such spaces, and the parker always disappeared when you went there later in the evening.
Frans Aguis
Oct 8th 2012, 18:24
It's different paying 50cents than paying some 1 euro per hour
vincent Lia
Oct 8th 2012, 18:57
The car park attendants were collecting money illegally and you should have never paid them to encourage their begging. Min qed jghix fil qamar? They were tips and car park attendants demanded money in car parks that are free. As an addition car parks should have a method of imposing a fee such as pay and display and the money goes to local councils.
Jason Scerri
Oct 8th 2012, 17:39
its public land, so no entity should make a profit out of it.
Just paint some descent white lines and we're all set. We don't need anything else. For all politicians out there, red,blue and green, let the public land be for the sole use of the public. We all have a right to it. I guess we pay enough road tax to cover any costs to maintain these car parks.
Am Camilleri
Oct 8th 2012, 18:08
If its public land - shouldn't it be available for use by people - and not just as a storage facility for the lucky few metal boxes on wheels that are first to arrive?
Michael Borg
Oct 8th 2012, 18:28
@ Am sure not to the lucky first to arrive but according to you TO THOSE WHO CAN AFFORD TO PAY !!!! and those worth to make an end to cope with living can't park !!!!!
Am Camilleri
Oct 8th 2012, 19:21
@ Mr Borg - what?
J Martinelli
Oct 8th 2012, 19:52
@ Michael Borg
A car owner affords paying for the car, paying for the fuel, paying for insurance, paying for maintenance (oil changes etc.), but cannot afford parking fees?
Something is definitely wrong here. Is it OK to park 'for free' in the streets and have some clown dent your car and take off without leaving a note? What is cheaper, paying a parking fee or for an unscheduled body shop appointment and the resulting bill?
Jason Scerri
Oct 8th 2012, 20:16
@ J Martinelli
That's my point, we already pay a substantial amount of tax on everything which has to do with cars, VAT on parts, VAT on services, Tax on fuel, Roadtax, unscheduled repairs due to pot holes or unleveled non standard pavements ( the ones that you hit the car door when you open it) Vat on VRT. I've been hit in private car parks too and no one left me a note. And there were no security cameras too. The owners having a big disclaimer that they were not responsible. What makes you think that these car parks will be more secure? And believe me, I will stick to my guns regardless of who's in goverment. Public car parks should remain so.
We don't need the blood sucking parkers too!
John Grima
Oct 8th 2012, 17:38
Ahjar qalilna fuq il-kuntratt li kellu l-perit charles buhagiar dan il-kunsillier trsaparenti!
Martin Saliba
Oct 8th 2012, 18:02
Kemm aw min hu injurant , tipruvaw tigustifikaw haga hazina bohra .
Paul Azzopardi
Oct 8th 2012, 17:34
This car park issue is nothing short of a very bad idea. Isn't anyone seeing it? If you are going to impose hefty charges for people generally visiting towns and villages this is going to actually discourage them to come there and spend money. Though behind this should be more intense then just Residence for free and visiting clinics, as this is going to have repercussions.
Dave Alan Caruana
Oct 8th 2012, 17:16
"he felt that no charges should be imposed for residents" .. and what about non-residents who need to visit your lovely town maybe for shopping or to eat at a restaurant? Residents parking schemes are a prime example of how the idea behind local councils has gone in the wrong direction totally.
Michael Borg
Oct 8th 2012, 17:36
it is a NEW TAX my friend nothing more nothing less cause the supposed car parks are nothing more then a stretch of road WE ALREADY PAY EVERY YEAR
Martin Saliba
Oct 8th 2012, 17:53
You are wrong . While i do not agree but you pay your licence to use the road not to park in . One day we will all have to pay to park anywhere and everywhere .
Deo Catania
Oct 8th 2012, 19:09
Martin Saliba , il-licenzja tithallas biex il-vettura tkun tista tinzamm barra fit-triq igifieri kemm ipparkjata u kemm misjuqa.
Please choose the reason of your report below: