Public car parks should be run like private businesses, according to attendants who believe that this would ensure higher standards and do away with “negative perceptions”.
“I think that if there were a call for expressions of interest to run these public car parks privately, a lot of the parkers would go in for it themselves. I know I would be interested,” said one attendant, who asked not to be named.
The Times of Malta yesterday spoke to a number of attendants who said they would be on board with the idea of operating public car parks privately themselves, rather than simply being licensed to work as attendants and depending on gratuities.
Transport Malta has said it is looking into the future of the car park attendant system but questions sent yesterday about the possibility of allowing attendants to rent the car parks were not replied to by the time of writing.
“I think all the parkers would prefer running these privately. There are a lot of misconceptions about the work we do. Obviously some might act incorrectly, but you can’t paint us all with the same brush. If the system were privatised, then we would be able to charge a fixed fee and much of this would be over,” said a parker based in Floriana.
Pressure has this week been mounting for the transport authorities to scrap car park attendants following a violent incident last week.
“Why do we need these so-called parkers? Most of them are useless and everyone knows they threaten you when you don’t pay up for using a free and public space,” Jackie Vassallo, a Times of Malta reader, told the newsroom.
Of course we depend on whatever we get paid. I’ll tell you one thing though,anyone who thinks we’re getting several hundred euros a day is wrong
She was one of dozens of motorists to share this sentiment after a report by this newspaper about a driver who was allegedly beaten by a parker in Qawra last Saturday. Mitch Farrow, 59, a British expat who recently underwent hip replacement surgery and was diagnosed with prostate cancer, was left with two black eyes and heavy bruising after the attendant at the car park outside the Santana Hotel in Qawra allegedly beat him for not giving a gratuity.
Parking in public car parks is free and signs erected by the transport authority clearly state that tipping attendants there should only be done on a voluntary basis.
Despite this, many motorists have said they felt obliged to give gratuities to attendants.
“At the end of the day you’re leaving your car there with them. I’ve heard stories of people who refused to pay and came back to find flat tyres or worse. I just pay to avoid this, but why should I have to?” Eric Cachia, another reader, wrote.
The attendants, meanwhile, shot down claims yesterday that parkers obliged motorists to pay up. “Of course not. Of course we depend on whatever we get paid. I’ll tell you one thing though, anyone who thinks were getting several hundred euros a day is wrong,” a Valletta attendant said.
However, several motorists complained on social media of being “harassed” or “bullied” into paying out gratuities to parkers. Others said certain car parks came with an unofficial price tag.
“I park in the Sliema car park near the ferries every day and they ask for €2 every time; it’s like it’s the accepted fee,” reader Sonia Ellul said.
The Times of Malta this week visited this Sliema car park, and while the attendant there did ask for some money, he did not insist when payment was refused.
There are currently some 50 licensed car park attendants working on the island, and although they are not employed by Transport Malta, the authority does have the power to revoke or suspend their licences.
For example, the authority suspended the licence of the attendant involved in the Qawra incident with Mr Farrow.
While all the attendants spoken to distanced themselves from the incident, most said that they too often faced “unfair” behaviour from motorists.
“I’ve had people get out of their car and threaten me when I had to tell them there was nowhere to park. Others threatened to get my licence revoked when I asked for a small tip. All I’m saying is there are two sides to every coin,” one attendant said, stretching out his arm to grab at a €1 coin from a passing motorist.