More than 300 roads in 19 towns and villages have been placed on a list of reserved parking zones for residents that has been approved by the Malta Transport Authority (ADT).
Nearly 80 streets around Sliema have been turned into residential parking zones all week, including Sundays, between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. The roads include the popular Ferries and the Strand.
Residents who spoke to The Sunday Times said, however, that the scheme would not necessarily work in their favour because visitors to their homes would be affected.
A number of people who work in Sliema and surrounding areas also complained they would be affected and some businesses expressed concern over a downturn in trade.
Sliema mayor Nikki Dimech was unrepentant, however. He said now that the legal notice had been issued, the council, intended to implement the residents parking scheme as soon as possible.
Mr Dimech said there would be different coloured parking bays to distinguish between residents and visitors. While residents can park indefinitely, visitors can only stay for a maximum of 120 minutes.
Those who drive company cars but are registered as Sliema residents will be given a special parking sticker to fix to their windscreen.
While acknowledging that the scheme would cause problems, Mr Dimech said it was intended to solve the parking problem for residents.
Other towns featured in the legal notice, published last week, include Vittoriosa, Victoria, Fontana, Rabat, Balzan, Floriana, Ħamrun, Iklin, Mellieħa, Mosta, Msida, Naxxar, St Julian's, San Ġwann, St Paul's Bay, Pietà, Swieqi and Ta' Xbiex.
People who work at Ta' Xbiex are also protesting against the newly approved scheme, since from Monday to Friday between 8.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m., parking bays in several roads are reserved for residents.
A man who runs his business from an office in Ta' Xbiex said parking in the locality had become impossible for his 21 employees.
He said that the parking bays reserved for residents were empty for most of the day and, to add insult to injury, several residents parked in spaces that could also be used by visitors.
Parking schemes have long been contentious. Pietà council's scheme was declared illegal by the court in 2007 because it did not have the ADT's approval.
However, when contacted yesterday Pietà mayor Malcolm Mifsud said the council would now enforce the scheme, though it may make some amendments since it had been devised when St Luke's Hospital was still in operation.
Asked whether the council would be refunding those who had been fined when the scheme was operating illegally, Dr Mifsud said cases determined by the Local Tribunal which had not been appealed had become legally binding.
"The legal question now is whether a local council may, on its own accord, simply declare a judgment delivered by a Local Tribunal null and refund the fine to the people concerned. A careful reading of the judgment of the Court of Appeal would lead me to conclude that the council has no legal backing to quash a fine. The only authorities that have these powers are the courts or the petitions board in very limited cases," he said.
The full list of roads can be seen on the DOI website at http://www.doi.gov.mt/EN/legalnotices/2009/07/LN%20200.pdf .
mxuereb@timesofmalta.com