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There has been much reported in the newspapers lately about setting up a Residential Parking Zone (RPZ) in Sliema and whether Sliema residents will be obliged to pay for parking in the RPZ or not. Two ministries, that of the Environment and that of Roads, said recently that parking for residents will be free. They also said that this had been stated ad nauseam and that, any way, it was in line with the (Qui-Si-Sana) development brief.
Free parking for residents is certainly not in line with the development brief. Sections 6.2.2 and 6.3.3 clearly refer to a nominal fee in respect of residents participating in the RPZ scheme. Moreover, Minister George Pullicino, who is responsible for the brief, had once strongly implied that residents could even be charged a fee for a berth allotted to them in the car park itself, although a such a fee is not mentioned in the brief in respect of the car park.
The only thing that has been repeated ad nauseam is Mr Pullicino himself saying that the government is committed to ensure that the terms of the brief are strictly adhered to, “no more, no less”. So the fear that Sliema residents are going to be charged a fee for participating in the RPZ scheme is fully justified, unless of course Mr Pullicino changes his mind about strictly adhering to the brief.
C. A. L. Dunkerley
Sliema
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