Parking restrictions in Sliema will no longer apply on Sundays, though non-resident motorists will still face strict time limits during the rest of the week.
“This decision has been taken by the council in the interest of many people who approached us because their relatives live outside Sliema,” mayor Anthony Chircop told The Times.
The controversial Sliema residents’ parking scheme was introduced in certain streets at end of February and is being implemented across the town over the course of six months.
Half the town’s parking bays are being reserved for residents, who will be given a local council permit to display on their cars.
Between 8am and 9pm, non-residents may only park in these spots for a maximum period of two hours, or face a €23.29 fine. Parking is unrestricted in the other areas.
The council had intended to apply the scheme seven days a week but Sundays have now been removed from the equation. Enforcement is expected to start before the summer, the mayor said.
The scheme has prompted a torrent of reactions from residents, shoppers, business owners and their employees.
One of the criticisms related to the restrictions the scheme would place on people visiting relatives in Sliema.
The local council had established a board to collect feedback and recommend changes.
Meanwhile, the General Workers’ Union has proposed that some of the parking spaces should be reserved for people who work in Sliema.
Union general secretary Tony Zarb told The Times the union had requested a meeting with the council to discuss the issue. When the scheme was announced the Malta Union of Teachers had threatened to register an industrial dispute. It said there were several primary, secondary and language schools in the area leading to a number of workers requiring parking bays.
MUT president Kevin Bonello said the union had not yet issued directives since the scheme had not yet been implemented.
“Teachers cannot be running out of class every two hours to move their car,” he said, adding that one solution could be to allow teachers to park freely during school hours.
Commenting about reserved parking for workers, Mr Chircop said the council was prepared to listen to proposals.
Given the recent change in Government, he said, the council was not sure if the Ferries’ project – which would have created an underground parking area – would go ahead.
In such an eventuality, he said, the council would look into options to generate park-ing spaces.