Triton Fountain kiosk operators would be given the right of first refusal over 10 new stands to be included in the pedestrianisation of the area, Planning Parliamentary Secretary Deborah Schembri said today.

Speaking at the entrance to the capital, beside the recently closed kiosks, Dr Schembri said she had been involved in months of negotiations with kiosk operators to find an amicable solution.

She said six vendors had previously operated kiosks through a legal rent agreement while several others had been squatting in one way or another.

A tender would eventually be issued for the public to bid on new kiosks once the project was completed and those previously operating under a regular rent agreement would be drawn by ballot and given a the chance to meet the highest offer.

“This is a privilege that is highly sought after and it took a lot of negotiating to get to this point,” she said.

Meanwhile, those who had been operating without the necessary rent agreements would then be drawn in second ballot and also be given the opportunity to meet the highest bids on individual kiosks.

The new structures, which will be in keeping with the City Gate project, would be placed near the Phoenicia Hotel and the left hand side of the entrance to Valletta.

Asked about the Triton Square project, Dr Schembri said it would be finished before Malta took on the title of European Capital of Culture in 2018. It would use material that were similar to those used in the City Gate project.

“This will provide an entrance befitting of a UNESCO World Heritage Site,” she said.