A contract with private operators of a public car park in Ta’ Qali has been terminated following revelations by Lovin Malta that they were charging entrants a €5 fee. 

Lovin Malta reported how operators had taken over the formally public area near the Ta’ Qali Crafts Village and popular nightclub Numero Uno. The operators completely closed off the area and did not allow anyone to enter unless they provide the fee. 

The newsroom first reached out to the Ministry for Economy on 16th May and Indis Ltd, a government-owned company which is responsible for the area, a week later. However, no replies were forthcoming with total radio silence from taxpayer-funded communications coordinators. 

Almost six weeks later, Indis confirmed that the contract was terminated on 27th May, 11 days after questions were initially sent. 

According to the agreement, the operators were only allowed to charge gratituties between 6pm and 6am – a highly lucrative time period given the proximity of Numero Uno, which sees thousands of visitors every week, particularly during the summer months. 

Numero Uno is not the private operator, whose identity was not disclosed to Lovin Malta. An FOI request has been filed demanding a copy of the agreement. 

A call for tenders was first issued in 2019 with the successful bidder being granted the permit against a set of conditions. The contract expired in January 2020 but was extended in 2022. 

The operator was demanded to maintain a valid car park attendant, not cause any nuisance to the visitors of the Crafts Village, ensure that a number of parking pays were allocated for use by disabled persons, keep the site clean at all times, and use all care and diligence to ensure orderly entry, parking and exit, and prevention of thefts and damages. 

Notably, the operators were only allowed to operate the site from 6pm till 6am and not to ask for any gratuities from motorists using the facility before 6pm.

However, this was not the case with the operators charging motorists all throughout the day. It was for this reason that Indis terminated the contract. 

Indis insisted that before the contract, the services were outsourced at a significant cost. It also said that before the contract, the area had been “taken over by squatters who regularly organised unauthorised parking facilities whenever an event in Ta’ Qali or in the vicinities was held”.

Sources have expressed dismay as to how the operators were awarded the lucrative deal with some suggesting possible links between the operators and government officials.

For now, the identity of the operators has been kept under wraps by the government and it remains to be seen if it will even publish the details of its own accord. 

What do you think of the contract?