One of the main kiosk operators at Għadira bay has been stopped from setting up sunbeds on the crowded beach after failing to follow regulations.
The beach management programme rolled out in June allocated equal space for the public and lido operators, after years of complaints by swimmers.
Following a number of meetings, the Land Department withdrew the concession of a kiosk owner as he would not abide by the new rules, a Malta Tourism Authority spokesman said.
On weekends, it’s practically impossible to find a spot to set up your own umbrella
Despite the large area made free by the removal of this operator in the centre, bathers continue to have difficulty finding free space, complaining that the two beaches at the edges remain crowded.
“The situation is getting worse year by year. On weekends, it’s practically impossible to find a spot to set up your own umbrella,” said Simon Borg, who has been frequenting Għadira for the past 50 years.
Beach management rules came into force six years ago, when operators were allowed to set down a limited number of sunbeds even if they were not rented out. A Tourism Ministry spokesman said the MTA had no plans to amend the rules.
Last year, a petition requesting the Tourism Ministry to remove unrented deckchairs from the beach was raised online and has garnered more than 3,350 signatures to date.
Areas where individual operators could carry out their activities were marked last June. These are no larger than 1,344 square metres and operators can set up a maximum of 300 sunbeds, up to three metres from the shoreline.
According to information given in Parliament, the yearly licence fee for renting umbrellas and deckchairs is €116.
The Tourism Ministry spokesman said the operators’ permits contained financial obligations, adding that rent fees for the allocated areas were commercially sensitive and could not be divulged.
“The fee covers a big chunk of the beach management costs, which include supervision, the service of lifeguards, facilities and operational needs that give the beach its Blue Flag status,” the spokesman added.
Mr Borg insisted that the first part of Għadira bay (coming from Mellieħa) was practically taken over by operators and what used to be a family gathering nowadays allows no more than a quick dip in the sea.
Rent fees for the allocated areas are commercially sensitive and cannot be divulged
There used to be only one operator, taking up a fifth of the bay and no unrented sunbeds would be on site. Today, these were set up before 8am, he said.
The ministry spokesman noted that operators were allowed to set up unrented deckchairs and umbrellas.
In the coming weeks, he added, the boundaries within which operators could set up sunbeds would be marked. In the meantime, MTA beach supervisors were monitoring concessions.
Bathers have also complained that the three-metre wide path along the shoreline was sometimes obstructed.
The spokesman explained that, while operators generally kept this corridor clear and were monitored by the MTA, the path’s width varied according to the waves and wind pattern of the day.
Michael Cassar, who was at Għadira one Saturday at 10am and needed to stay close to the water’s edge to keep an eye on two young children, said there were barely 1.5 metres between the shoreline and the first row of deckchairs.
When he went to Armier, deckchairs and umbrellas were set up right on the shoreline.
He compared the situation of the two bays to that of Ramla bay in Gozo, where, he said, operators approached bathers before they set foot on the sand and “politely” asked whether they required sunbeds.
Armier did not form part of the MTA beach management programme. However, the situation was being monitored to implement a holistic plan for the area based on the new Għadira model, the ministry spokesman noted.