The traumas that Tigné peninsula has been suffering over the last 30 years are too many to mention.

Residents have bravely adapted to their battered environment, while feeling absolutely helpless in the circumstances. Development in this area will not be stopping for a good number of years. The constant invasion of Tigné throughout the day is unbelievable. It is attacked by workers, shoppers, tourists and visitors all competing for precious car parking spaces. The abnormally heavy machinery and vehicles transiting the area to access the mega development sites, spewing toxic fumes in the process, are compounding the problem even further. Strangely enough, with the dramatic increase of visitors to Tigné, the area has now been seeing hundreds of street car parking spaces disappearing overnight.

The latest episode is so unbelievable. The new bus company has cried foul at the closure of Bisazza Street, citing a disruption of their schedule by a couple of minutes. Part of the solution concocted by the bus company is an approximately 300-metre long bus lane along Tigné seafront, removing another 60-plus car parking spaces. How this will improve the bus flow is dubious. The bus lane starts from a one lane road section and ends at another one lane section to rejoin the traffic flow! The time has now come, and it is absolutely necessary, that the promised Sliema residents’ (especially Tigné) car parking scheme is put into action. Being offered parking spaces at a fee is no solution. Sliema and Tigné residents are no different to the rest of the island’s population enjoying free parking at their residential areas.