The government is looking at an alternative model to ensure a sustainable way of carrying out road maintenance as local councils have ran out of funds, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced this morning.

Dr Muscat was replying to complaints from mayors from the central region, who were invited for a Cabinet meeting held at the Birkirkara Civic Centre. 

The Prime Minister said the PPP scheme between road builders and councils, launched by the former government had achieved some positive results but left a number of councils in dire financial problems due to long term commitments to pay for these works. 

Consequently, Transport Malta and Projects Malta were holding talks on a sustainable model, which would ensure that roads which have been neglected for years are repaired.

Replying to a complaint from Sliema mayor Anthony Chircop on a new parking policy which he said was long overdue, the Prime Minister said government had no plans to introduce parking meters or any sort of tariffs for motorists to park in public places. 

While acknowledging that the new parking policy had been debated in Cabinet, he said its implementation had to be part of a holistic plan which would include the introduction of new forms of mass transport.

Meanwhile comments from Msida mayor Margaret Baldacchino Cefai on public cleansing and waste collection problems near apartments being rented by Gozitan students, sparked an immediate reaction from Parliamentary Secretary Justyne Caruana (who is a Gozitan MP) who expressed her disapproval saying  "they kept the economy going".

On her part a visibly apprehensive mayor clarified that she did not mean to single out Gozitans, but at the same same noted she was relaying complaints lodged with the council was receiving from residents.