'I reckon everyone would like to go somewhere and find a parking place. However, this has become a problem in many localities. The question is: who should have priority over limited parking spaces - residents or visitors?

'The situation was described as a bad dream in which we would eventually use our cars only to go on non-stop rides around Malta and back home. A worse dream would be driving non-stop around Malta with no chance of getting back home due to no reserved parking for residents.

'I think one needs to live in a street where parking is a problem to appreciate the inconveniences, such as going shopping and having to carry all your bags, and returning home and not finding a parking place. Especially for the elderly and families with young children, parking priority for residents is a real need. Parking is a growing problem. More buildings, businesses and cars have all contributed to make the situation worse. To solve this problem, one can look at how other countries have dealt with such a situation. In some countries, cities are split into sectors and residents get a special permit denoting their sector, which they affix to the windscreen and which allows them to park for free.

'Other cars can park in the area for a limited time, against a parking fee (solar-powered parking meters are used). On the other hand, the limitation and the fee only apply during certain hours and on certain days. In Malta we can apply the same system with different solutions for various locations.

'Whatever we do, we definitely cannot ignore residents for the sake of businesses setting up in residential areas. It has been going on for far too long and the situation has become unbearable. Campaigning against residents-only parking will not solve the problem. It will only delay the inevitable. We must accept that on-street parking in congested areas can no longer be free. The campaign should focus on building more public car parks.' (Raymond Pisani)

We do need more public car parks, both underground and above ground level. We will be featuring another letter, sent by Paul Falzon, next week.