The Malta Chamber of Commerce has formally asked Transport Malta to relinquish the parking spaces reserved for MPs in Valletta during summer and Christmas, when Parliament is in recess, and give them back to the public.

“As the situation stands, the public is denied use of these spaces, leaving them empty, while drivers have to circle the city in search of a parking space, creating congestion and generating unnecessary emissions to the detriment of people and historic buildings,” the Chamber said in a statement issued yesterday.

It said reserving parking spaces for MPs during recess was unacceptable “given the critical situation which is severely hampering the conduct of business”. Freeing the spaces would alleviate the situation during summer and Christmas.

Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries have drivers, which meant their reserved spaces could even be freed up permanently to allow some further improvement all the year round, the Chamber suggested.

The Chamber had, on occasion, communicated its concerns to Transport Malta, however, “these concerns and recommendations have not been heeded. Instead, parking spaces for the public have continued to be eliminated”.

As more parking spaces were reduced in Valletta, earlier this year this newspaper reported that government employees had been given exclusive access to a section that is supposed to be a pedestrianised area outside Upper Barrakka Gardens, while a policeman was posted on duty to ensure no unauthorised vehicles would 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.