The Valletta Council was not informed when the area next to the Upper Barrakka Gardens was arbitrarily converted into a reserved parking area for employees at the Office of the Prime Minister, according to the mayor.

As more parking spaces are reduced in Valletta for commuters, government employees were given exclusive access to new section in Castille Place and a policeman has been posted on duty to ensure no unauthorised vehicles enter the area.

OPM employees already benefit from two other adjacent reserved areas – a car park outside the Malta Stock Exchange and a smaller parking area next to Auberge de Castille.

The government had pledged to pedestrianise the area now taken up by OPM employees’ cars, particularly as thousands of cruise liner passengers pass through practically every day on their way to their gardens.

Mayor Alexiei Dingli said the local council had not been informed that parking spaces would be created and reserved for OPM employees, and got to know about the exclusive arrangement from the media.

“I doubt whether they have a permit. When we checked with Transport Malta it seemed they didn’t know about it either,” Dr Dingli said, adding that the council was looking into the matter.

But a government spokesman said last night that Transport Malta had approved the arrangement in May, and copied in the Valletta council.

“Therefore it’s not correct to state that the parking bays... have been reserved... without obtaining permission.”

Parking problems in Valletta have increased as parking spaces were taken away from commuters, following the pedestrianisation of areas like St George’s Square and the removal of the bridge above City Gate. Dr Dingli said the local council was in talks with Transport Malta about reserved parking bays which could be given back to the public, adding that even residents sometimes found it impossible to park.

The council has also drawn Transport Malta’s attention to parking bays reserved for people with a disability who have passed away.