The editorial about parking schemes (August 21) verges on the unbelievable. It presents a defeatist attitude to a problem that is very serious.

Firstly, the article presents us with a chaotic situation if residents’ parking schemes are introduced all over the island. Then it goes on to quote statistics on car ownership and population numbers that have been known for many years. According to the article, there is no solution to our high obesity rates and lust for comfort in travel. Instead of pressing for proper and safe measures to reduce car use and encouraging other means of travel the solutions are described as being pipedreams.

It is all very well to say that it is important to reduce the numbers of vehicles on the road but it is contradictory to then advocate more public parking lots, therefore encouraging even more car use.

Different localities have different parking needs. Take Sliema as an example. By 8am it is impossible to find a parking space at Qui-si-Sana seafront. One cannot say the same in other localities.

So, yes, it makes sense for certain localities to have residents’ parking schemes. Local councils are elected by the residents. Their priority is to look after their needs. Should residents of Sliema be prisoners in their own home, not daring to use their car knowing that, once they move, they will not be able to return until late at night, when visitors leave, or risk parking erratically and receiving a parking fine?

The recent government announcement, if it goes ahead, that parking schemes may be abolished will give reason to selfishness to those who hold local councils to ransom. Visitors to Valletta and Sliema hugely outnumber the residents. This would indicate that all such schemes should be abolished. Is this right? I do not think so.