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The pay-to-park scheme in Valletta is a laudable green initiative, which in the long run should enhance the credentials of our capital city as a World Heritage Site: credentials which have sadly been called into question of late, according to a recent statement by the Valletta Rehabilitation Committee chairman Ray Bondin.
This initiative is therefore timely, and should draw the praise of all heritage and green NGOs. Apart from arguably reducing our CO2 emissions, the project fits in with a growing culture of pedestrianisation of cities worldwide. If the effects of similar exercises elsewhere are emulated here, pay-to-park should serve as a magnet to draw more people into the city’s business and shopping area… not to mention a more orderly life for the residents themselves. The scope is clearly to make Valletta a more pleasant place to visit, far removed from the pollution and confusion traditionally associated with city life.
But the first few days have shown that a number of issues still need to be tackled, foremost amongst which is the unavailability of parking in the park and ride designated areas. Inevitably, civil servants and private employees who used to park freely in Valletta have now migrated to the park and ride areas, leaving little space for shoppers to park outside the city. And yet, what should have been a very predictable consequence appears to have taken the authorities by surprise. The result is that the park and ride system – itself a success story in its own right – is now hamstrung by the lack of available parking space. This problem must be addressed fast, by immediately creating new parking slots, lest the very purpose for which the scheme was set up is destroyed.
On another level, the initiative has to date been met with mixed reactions. It seems that the fear of change remains a permanent feature in us Maltese. In this case, the strategy clearly aims to instil a culture change whereby people are expected to pay for what they previously received for free. Culture changes are hard to swallow at the best of times. When they involve paying more, some may even find them indigestible.
But while it is early to pass judgment on the system, a degree of success can already be measured by the sharp drop in cars entering Valletta since the scheme was introduced. Indeed, the whole point of the exercise was to discourage day workers in Valletta from utilising most of the city’s estimated 8,000 parking spaces for hours on end, to the detriment of residents and shoppers alike. To this end, the scheme has already served its purpose, since more parking space within the city is now available to occasional visitors. But while “phase one” of the operation – discouraging the day-workers from parking all day – has been achieved, “phase two” – allowing motorists to enter the city only for limited times – has so far proved elusive. It seems that the novel pay concept has gone beyond its declared aims, dissuading motorists (and therefore visitors) from entering the city at all.
Needless to add, this is counterproductive, considering that part of the intention was to encourage more visitors, and not less.
Like all culture changes, this one may take time to be accepted. But then again, it is not just the public that needs to accept change. If the scheme is to succeed, it should ideally be accompanied by a long overdue reform of the public transport system. Granted, Valletta remains the most accessible locality by bus; but the buses themselves, and the service they provide, surely need to be updated. Likewise, the city – and indeed the entire country – is crying out for a liberalised taxi service, which would provide a convenient alternative to using one’s car in the first place.
Government must also address the careful management of the revenue accrued as a result of this scheme. It is usually the case that revenue from sources such as this goes directly into the general consolidated fund. But wouldn’t it be more useful to allocate some, if not all, into a fund specifically intended to restore the buildings and monuments of Valletta? People would be happier paying for the service, if they knew that the funds would be channelled towards restoration. Besides, the net result would be a further embellished World Heritage Site.
The important thing at this stage is not to lose sight of the bigger picture. The whole scope of this commendable initiative is – or at least, should be – to revive our capital city by offering non-residents the opportunity to park easily and consequently visit our capital city more often, while at the same time improving the quality of life for its inhabitants. Valletta remains the jewel in the Maltese crown: no effort or expense should be saved for it to once again be acknowledged as a city built by gentlemen for gentlemen. |
