Recently the ‘reserved parking’ sign for people holding the blue card, situated near Ta’ Xbiex parish church, was unexpectedly removed by the council, most probably with the approval of Transport Malta.

Now people with disabilities can no longer use this area for parking close to the church; instead they fixed a new sign with the words ‘Alighting and Boarding only’ with the No Parking crossed sign, instead of the ‘reserved’ sign.

Maybe the authorities expect a disabled person to alight at this new sign and tell the car to go and park itself further down?

Many people with disabilities drive their own car either because they have special needs or because they cannot walk long distances.

The removal of the sign is now causing hardship to disabled people going to church, because the only space that they might find is much further down and they have to walk up a very steep road, up to 50 metres away. It is also unfair that wherever reserved parking signs for disabled exist in Sliema, Gżira, Ta’ Xbiex, Msida, St Paul’s Bay, Buġibba, Mosta, Valletta, Ħamrun and also at Mater Dei or private hospitals, the reserved area is invariably occupied by vehicles that do not have the blue sticker; their owners should be either warned or fined.

Unfortunately, friends of mine who are disabled have often tried to bring this to the attention of the authorities, but it seems that wardens and police do not bother to check on these complaints.