[attach id=265114 size="medium"]Photo: Chris Sant Fournier[/attach]

The latest developments in the Sliema residents parking scheme saga is among the topics expected to be raised at a local council assembly tonight.

Mayor Anthony Chircop pointed out that the annual locality meeting was not called to specifically discuss the future of the parking scheme the council introduced in May and which was suspended by Transport Malta.

He said residents would be informed of the council’s work and the latest developments on the scheme since its suspension. Meetings were being held with the business community and with Transport Malta before the scheme is re-introduced.

The parking scheme was suspended on May 3, barely a week after coming into force, following a Cabinet decision a few hours after teachers in Sliema went on strike over the contro-versial issue.

The Government had said Cabinet decided to order the suspension of the scheme because it was introduced “unilaterally and without an adequate trial period” and had caused problems in the area.

The scheme earmarks half the town’s parking bays for residents. Non-residents will only be able to park in such bays for two hours or face a €23.29 fine.

The council had given Transport Malta three weeks before it would go ahead with the re-introduction of the scheme but it has still to come into force.

Mr Chircop said the council was using this time to meet with various stakeholders with a view of fine tuning the system to improve it as much as possible.

“We met and listened because the authorities were saying the discussions had been held years ago. Now we listened and we are ready to iron out any problems that people could have found with the system. Talks are still under way,” he said.

The council also met representatives of the Sliema business community to discuss the matter.

Another topic to be discussed this evening is cleanliness in the locality in view of the influx of people, especially foreigners, during the summer months.