A surge in the clamping of illegally-parked cars at Mater Dei Hospital has caused a wave of complaints and raised questions about the operations of a new operator at the hospital car park and its environs.
The previous operator, who had run the parking area for 10 years, had over time largely turned a blind eye to users who were forced to drive round the car park in vain to find an empty slot.
This resulted in cars parked on the side of the car park ramp and across pavements, particularly in the morning when the Outpatients’ Department was at its busiest.
Although those illegally-parked did not argue against the principle of enforcement when they contacted Times of Malta, they did feel that the operator’s approach could have been less aggressive.
“I think the least they could have done was organise an educational campaign first,” one irate driver told the Times of Malta, while another felt that the priority should have been to solve the acute shortage of spaces.
“The security guard told me that there had been a change in policy,” another wrote, adding he had used the same spot for seven years without ever encountering any problems.
Another patient lamented that he found his car clamped when he was leaving at 3am – and found no one around to release it.
“The least they can do is make sure it’s possible to pay and get the clamps removed,” said the man, who was forced to get a taxi home.
In some cases, authorised employees and third parties were also clamped incorrectly, and the ministry confirmed that in these cases the operator cooperated to refund in line with its contractual obligations.
“Following the awarding of the new hospital parking contract, MDH management is working to address teething problems to allow the best traffic management without putting undue pressure on staff or visitors,” the ministry spokesperson said, urging users to follow parking directions and traffic regulations.
It also urged people to use public transport, noting that Mater Dei was the second most accessible public transport hub after Valletta.
The ministry said that discussions with the Planning Authority for the development of a new underground 500-slot car park at MDH are at an advanced stage. This would complement the current 1,900 ones.
Mater Dei receives roughly half a million outpatient visits every year – which works out to approximately 2,000 every working day. In addition, the car park is used by inpatients’ visitors.
KIS Service JV consortium took over in August after beating three other bidders in a tender and signed a five-year deal. It made a bid of €542,000 and was awarded the concession on the basis of its technical offer.
The company, which is a joint venture run with two Italian partners, reduced the parking prices, and also had to invest in new equipment – to the relief of visitors who often found the pay machines were out of order.