Anthony ChircopThe Sliema council is still waiting for the authorities to discuss proposals about its residential parking scheme, several weeks after it was forced to suspend its introduction.
The controversial scheme – proposing to reserve half the town’s parking bays for residents which can be used by visitors for up to two hours – was announced by the council in February, prompting mixed reactions from residents, shoppers, business owners and employees.
Mayor Anthony Chircop yesterday told a news conference that the initiative was still on a trial basis when it was suspended on May 3. The suspension was imposed by Cabinet hours after teachers in Sliema went on strike over the issue.
The council gave the transport authority until June 12 to propose ways to improve the scheme, and on the very last day of the deadline it met Parliamentary Secretary for Local Councils José Herrera.
The council presented him with a draft report detailing how the system could be improved.
It was also passed on to Transport Minister Joe Mizzi and Transport Malta.
The draft proposed different time limitations in commercial, residential and school areas. It also said teachers could car-pool or use school transport, and proposed the reintroduction of a circular bus.
In an e-mail sent last week, Transport Malta said the minister would like a final report before meeting the council.
If the signs are removed, the council should be compensated
But the council cannot come up with a final draft before holding discussions with the minister and Transport Malta, the mayor said.
“I am only asking them to listen to the council and for our proposals to be actively considered. The feedback so far does not reflect any enthusiasm,” he said.
Mr Chircop added that the council had also been asked, through another letter from Transport Malta, to take down traffic signs put up for the scheme or they would be removed by the authority at the council’s expense.
“We did everything according to law. If the signs are removed, the council should be compensated for the trouble and expenses,” Mr Chircop said.
Cabinet suspended the scheme on grounds that it was introduced without a six-month trial period and consultation had not been held with all interested parties, such as the teachers’ union.
Mr Chircop said when the legal notice was issued in 2009 the council was not obliged to hold a six-month trial. However, it knew this scheme was a learning curve and decided to launch the trial while remaining open to feedback.
He said the Malta Union of Teachers was not one of the entities indicated for discussion by the transport authority. But despite attempts to discuss alternatives with the union, it was not willing to meet, added Mr Chircop.
In a reaction, the Transport Ministry yesterday said it was open for discussions with everyone, including the Sliema council. It said Transport Malta was carrying out a study on different parking systems to draw up a policy suitable for Malta’s circumstances, taking into consideration whether such schemes should be revised or abolished.
The ministry said that no council was above the law, and in the past days Transport Malta had suspended similar schemes in St Paul’s Bay and Naxxar.