No consultation was held with the local councils on the relaxation of enforcement for six traffic contraventions, even in areas with heavy traffic, the Times of Malta is informed.
Earlier this week, the Local Enforcement System Agency (LESA) announced that wardens would be issuing warning tickets instead of fines in certain cases.
Each subsequent offence in that particular category would, however, lead to a fine.
Speaking to this newspaper, Sliema councillor Michael Briguglio said that despite the changes impacting localities such as Sliema, a town rife with traffic problems, there had not been any form of consultation.
“Traffic in Sliema is a leading issue, and rather than speaking to the main stakeholders, the changes were merely announced a day before coming into force,” Dr Briguglio said.
The measure will apply in the cases of defective lights, damaged lights, road licence not affixed to the windscreen, defective silencer, vehicle not in good condition such as missing side mirrors, front grille or mudguard, and in certain cases of illegal parking.
Sliema residents come up to me and tell me this could pave the way for other abuses
The warning system for fines, however, will not apply to police enforcement.
While the lack of consultation was of concern, especially since it was the council which had to address residents’ concerns, Dr Briguglio added that the move also sent the message that enforcement in other areas was not being taken seriously.
“This sort of thing gives people the impression that the government is not interested in enforcement across the board, not just with traffic issues.
“I’ve had a number of Sliema residents come up to me and tell me that this could potentially pave the way for other abuses, such as unlicensed vendors and the abuse with tables and chairs outside restaurants, to be tolerated. That’s not the message that the government should be sending out,” Dr Briguglio went on.
Addressing a news conference at the agency’s offices earlier this week, Parliamentary Secretary Stefano Buontempo insisted these changes were being introduced in response to people's feedback.
He rejected the criticism that the measure was a populist one.
“This government does not consider wardens to be a money-making machine, and our aim is to give motorists a second chance in cases of minor offences,” he said during the press conference.
Since LESA was set up in 2015, the total number of tickets issued for the six types of contraventions was 28,000.
Meanwhile, similar concerns on the lack of consultation were echoed by the president of the central region committee, Mich-ael Fenech Adami.
“We have had discussions, but these discussions cannot be considered to be consultation,” said Mr Fenech Adami.
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