The vehicles featured in the article ‘Caravans take over Armier public space’ (July 23) are not caravans but motorhomes. There is a bigdifference between a caravan and a motorhome even though both vehicles have living spaces and amenities found in a normal home.

A caravan is a vehicle without a powered engine and is usually towed behind a car. There is no need to pay a road licence but it’s a must to have it insured with the car or any powered vehicle used to transport the caravan from point A to point B, in case of an accident.

Both in Malta and abroad it’s illegal to leave an unhooked caravan parked on the road for weeks, as clearly indicated on the signs placed at Armier by the local council. The only place to leave a caravan unhooked is at a campsite. On the other hand, a motorhome has to pay a road licence according to Transport Malta regulations together with insurance, as with any other vehicle, and can be parked anywhere without any special permit, though abiding by all traffic regulations.

In Malta, we have a good number of these motorhomes, most of them bought from abroad. The cost of a motorhome may vary depending on size and make. A well-equipped motorhome could cost about €55,000 offering good comfort but, obviously, if one were after more luxury then the price can be much higher. So I don’t imagine that the motorhomes featured in the photograph were left there for weeks unattended.

There is a big difference between a caravan and a motorhome

If the owners of vehicles featured in the photograph accompanying the article are occupying public spaces by parking their motorhomes in Armier, then, judging by the same argument, every vehicle registered in Malta and Gozo would also be infringing regulations.

I personally own a motorhome but never went to Armier and parked my vehicle there. I park in other places in Malta for my weekend stays. It’s the only hobby I have and, in summer, I even travel abroad to explore other countries, driving from one place to another, visiting towns and villages and even staying for a night or two.

The same applies to with foreign caravanners coming to Malta as tourists. France, Germany and Italy are leaders in motor caravanning and we surely cannot afford to stop these tourists from coming over and leaving foreign money in our economy.

Touring Club Malta does its utmost to assist both outgoing and incoming tourists of this sort. My personal opinion is that we should invest in more stopovers for these motorhomes in order to attract more tourists, especially in the shoulder months.

With this in mind, thanks to the government and the minister responsible for the maritime authority, Manuel Mallia, we managed to get Tirrenia CIN back to Malta to run as a passenger/cargo ferry service, thus improving our link to mainland Italy (Malta/Catania/Livorno), which will surely boost our passion.

With regard to the second part of the article, we can never be compared to any boathouse. As soon as we are told by the authorities to remove our vehicles, all we have to do is start the engine and park someplace else, the same as any other roadworthy vehicle licensed to be on the road.

Renè Savona Ventura is secretary of Touring Club Malta.