Transport Minister Ian Borg has insisted that the Transport Malta should ensure that car park attendants who harass motorists are reprimanded.

The minister made the remarks after Times of Malta reported recently that a parker at a public car park in Ta’ Qali had harassed drivers, asking them to pay a fixed fee despite Transport Malta regulations stating this was not allowed.

Similar incidents at car parks in Mdina, Valletta and Sliema were reported to this newspaper.

Informed sources have however told the Times of Malta that while the process to take action against a number of car park attendants had been initiated in the past, these would often fall through as there was not enough solid evidence.

“As soon as the reports about these parkers came in, I spoke with Transport Malta officers and asked for the issue to be taken seriously and duly investigated,” Dr Borg said.

In an attempt to curb abuse by attendants, Transport Malta last year said it had set up a team of inspectors to monitor such sites to ensure parkers were adhering to the rules, which include wearing a tag that proving that they are licensed and not asking for any money.

Referring to the measures taken by the authority, Dr Borg insisted that there were strict rules in place that stated that nobody should be forced to pay any parker at a public car park, pointing out that the authority had even put up signs stating these regulations.

“I understand drivers’ frustrations in the face of such flagrant abuse by the parkers. Of course, we cannot generalise, because there are parkers who do their job very well,” Dr Borg noted.

To report abuse by car park attendants, call Transport Malta on freephone 80072393.