Valletta’s residential parking bays have become tow zones to protect the few spots left when parking is cleared during events related to the EU presidency, Mayor Alexiei Dingli said.

Prof. Dingli yesterday told the Times of Malta that the Valletta local council had received numerous complaints from residents after large parts of Valletta’s lower side, near St Elmo Place, were cleared during the opening week of Malta’s presidency of the EU Council this week.

The lower ends of Republic and Merchants Streets were both cleared of parking, as well as chunks of the ring road around the capital, for several days this week, with residents venting their frustration that they were not able to park anywhere near their homes to make way for dignitaries.

They should look after us residents

“I parked in Floriana and had to walk home nearly every day this week. They should look after us residents,” Michael Grech said as he walked home to Hospital Street on Thursday. He was one of several residents to express their frustration at police officers stationed around the Mediterranean Conference Centre this week where parking was virtually wiped out.

The six-month presidency will see more than 1,500 meetings and other events held in Valletta this year.

Asked how many times parking would be blocked off due to presidency-related events, both the council and the presidency’s public relations team did not know. They both directed this newspaper to the police, to whom it sent questions.

Asked what else the council could do to mitigate the problem the next time Valletta parking was cleared away, Prof. Dingli said the council had recently increased the number of green parking bays available exclusively for residents.

The number of wardens roaming the capital’s streets had also increased, mainly to safeguard residential parking.

The council will also be providing a park-and-ride service for residents when parking spaces are next cleared.

The mayor urged commuters to avoid using their cars and, when possible, to make use of public transport and the ferries.

 

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