Watch: Miriam Dalli Hints At Fees For Non-Residents In New Car Parks To Replace Lost Parking Spots
Underground car parks which will be built to compensate for the public parking spots that will be lost through a national greening project could come at a price for non-residents, Environment Minister Miriam Dalli has suggested.
In a new interview with Lovin Malta, Dalli said that while she doesn’t want to burden residents with new costs, the projects will involve the private sector and must be financially sustainable.
“We must ensure that residents are given first priority so that they can continue enjoying what they currently have,” Dalli said.
“However, there will also be a commercial element for those people who want to come and park in these car parks. We said from day one that we want to involve the private sector because our priority is for these projects to be sustainable on a financial and environmental level.”
Asked straight out whether everyone, or merely non-residents, will have to pay to access these car parks, Dalli said that this will be assessed on a case-by case basis but that “residents will be given absolute priority”.
“We don’t want to add burdens for residents. We have never done that and we don’t intend to do so through these projects.”
Dalli dismissed suggestions that the creation of new car parks contradicts her own recent promise to drastically reduce private car use in Malta by 2030, stating that “a balance must be struck between the creation of new public needs and safeguarding residents’ needs”.
Earlier this week, Dalli launched Project Green, a government entity tasked with creating new gardens and open spaces across Malta, with a whopping €700 million set to be spent in this regard over a seven-year period.
Two projects have been announced so far by Project Green’s CEO Steve Ellul – new gardens in San Ġwann’s town centre and behind the American University of Malta in Cospicua. In both instances, several public parking spaces will be eaten up and underground car parks will be built as compensation.
A proposed render of the Floriana open space project by DHI Periti
One of Project Green’s greatest tasks is set to be the conversion of Floriana’s Triq Sant’Anna into a pedestrianised green area.
Dalli promised that the project will go ahead and that Project Green will embark on a consultation process with Floriana residents and businesses to ensure that their concerns are taken into account.
“We must discuss these projects with residents and stakeholders to ensure these open spaces don’t create excess inconveniences. Otherwise, the people won’t buy into the projects and that’s not something we’re ready to accept.”
Do you think access to these new underground car parks should be free of charge?
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