The transport authorities are not planning to include parking offences in the penalty points system any time soon despite more than 43,000 contraventions in the first five months of the year.
According to figures tabled in Parliament this week, 43,126 tickets for illegal parking were handed out between January and May. Another 1,991 warnings were issued by the Local Enforcement System Agency.
The figures were supplied by Justice and Local Governance Minister Owen Bonnici in reply to a parliamentary question tabled by Nationalist MP Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici.
Despite the incidence of illegal parking rising rapidly in recent years – 93,106 fines were issued in 2016 and 105,755 last year – a spokesman for Transport Malta said the regulator was not aware of any plans to include illegal parking within the points system introduced last year and which has already led to 75 drivers losing their licence.
Illegal parking is a threat to safety only in particular cases
The new system, aimed at curbing reckless driving, came into force in December.
Motorists who accumulate 12 penalty points in a year lose their licence for two months and if the licence is revoked twice in three years the driver will only be allowed to get back behind the wheel after 12 months.
The transport watchdog spokesman told The Sunday Times of Malta that the points system penalised offences that “jeopardise the safety of drivers and fellow road users”.
“Illegal parking is a threat to safety only in particular cases and that is the reason why the offence is only penalised monetarily. The issue of illegal parking has been raised but, to date, we are not aware of plans to include the offence within the points system,” the spokesman added.
When it was first announced that the system – which used to apply only to motorists who had just obtained their licence – would be extended to all drivers, businesses expressed concerns that if parking illegalities were to be included they would be at a disadvantage.
They argued that the road infrastructure had its limitations and there were instances when deliverymen had no other option but to stop vehicles in ‘no parking’ zones when dropping off goods.
claire.caruana@timesofmalta.com