Parking
Independent Social Movement ResidentiBeltin – 02/02/2019 © (Digital & Published Rights)
01) Our work promises to increase residential parking and create per capita parking spaces.
02) The outer side of the ring road around the Belt will be converted into White and Blue Parking for visitors, events, deliveries and relatives. While the inner ring road will be completely reserved for Residential Parking. A meeting will be held with residents of every block and zone so that everyone is included.
03) A clamping system will be introduced for those who abuse. Residential parking spaces that were removed by previous administrations, where they only carried out relocation while creating injustice for residents, will be restored. It was discouraging that Local Council members sometimes voted unanimously in favour of removing residential parking spaces.
04) We believe that every resident who has their personal vehicle in for repairs, where they end up resorting to a hire car, should be given a temporary permit. This way no inconveniences arise or they end up facing unjust penalties.
05) On the same line of unjust penalties, we have always felt it is unjust that relatives who wish to visit their kin for a short time or a few days within the Belt end up with repercussions that isolate their relatives, mainly the elderly category. A proposal is that in cases of illness or urgent situations, special permits are given according to the case, as well as including the possibility of Parking Meters. For this we would need the contribution of every resident through a meeting within the Council.
06) Over the years, many residents (primarily the elderly and parents) are finding it difficult to receive visits at their homes. A plan will be drawn up to create strategic parking spaces for nurses, veterinarians, doctors, police, and civil protection members.
07) Permits will be updated and monitored regularly to avoid abuse of invalid permits. Community management, in collaboration with the respective enforcement entities, will observe parking zones to ensure compliance with permit laws regarding residential parking, and thus no one takes the resident's place.
08) Permits must be displayed clearly and prominently on the windscreen of the resident's vehicle. This will strengthen enforcement by easily identifying authorised and unauthorised vehicles. It will serve as a clear indication of when a resident should report a non-residential vehicle, while this provides clarity to enforcement units without delay in issuing penalties.
09) Unauthorised vehicles; without visible permits will be subject to penalties, such as fines or towing, to discourage law violations. We also wish to add that it was discouraging that there were situations where despite having an online system for verification of temporary residential permits, residents were fined - we believe that 'first timers' should be given a written warning and not penalised straight away.
10) More clear signage indicating the need for residential parking permits will be placed at key points in the locality. This is a simplified enforcement process for community management and enforcement.
11) Residents will be informed about all amendments and new laws through community newsletters, by email, mobile, postal notices and through every platform permitted for the Local Council.
12) All of this will improve accessibility for residents to find parking near their homes during events when residential parking spaces are taken, with the consequence of being unjustly penalised.
13) After all these years where there was such a need for transparency regarding how many parking spaces we are losing, an official local inventory of all parking spaces around the locality will be created.
14) Residents with Motorcycles: a limited number of parking spaces will be selected in certain streets where vehicles of a certain size are not viable; each parking space can fit four motorcycles or more. All these years, no previous local council designed or implemented this plan of benefit for motorcycle owners.
15) Un/Loading parking for shops and establishments will be designated in central locations so that traders save from having to pay or reserve parking spaces.
16) Every Department/Ministry will be given only one parking space in the vicinity or in front of the Department. In reality, no Department needs three or more parking spaces, especially when over these recent years there has been a lot of abuse. We also continue to advocate for a minibus service for Government employees, a service that should be extended to collect/deliver employees to central areas convenient for everyone. We avoid congestion while waiting for this service, and we suggest the use of each Department's reserved parking space.
17) E-Scooters: We gladly welcome the decision taken by the Government of Malta regarding the removal of commercial E-scooters. However, the aspect of segways remains: parking zones should be considered to avoid them being parked randomly. These parking zones can only be created in dedicated areas, and also regularised to avoid all types of accidents.
*Every proposal will be solidified and improved once the Council, under our leadership, convenes public meetings with the residents.
Link: https://timesofmalta.com/article/malta-ban-rental-escooters-march.1062114
Link: https://timesofmalta.com/article/valletta-parking-nightmare-2.85352
