Hawkers at the market on 16 September Square, Mosta, are up in arms after being ordered by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa) to relocate their stalls in order to accommodate the re-development of the Cornerstone Complex on the same square.

The decision to move the market was taken after Mepa issued a permit “to provide access for emergency vehicles for the underground substation and access for cars to garage during the open market on Monday mornings.”

Although the hawkers were originally expected to move last Monday, they have been given a week’s extension in view of the fact that Thursday 21 September was a public holiday.

The Mepa permit was issued after Exalco Group Ltd, the owner of Cornerstone Complex, applied for an extension of the reserved space in front of the complex, so that vehicles would have 24-hour unencumbered access to its underground electricity substation.

As a result of this increase in space, the Monday market hawkers now have to remove their vans altogether, in order to make way for emergency vehicles.

Speaking to The Malta Independent, the secretary of the Assocjazzjoni tal-Bejjiegha tal-Monti, Mark Zammit, questioned whether the authority’s permit can overrule the Trading Licences Act, which allows the hawkers full access to the area in question. He also complained that the permit was issued without consulting his association.

Like most open-air markets, the Mosta market is officially managed by the local council. Mr Zammit added that talks were held over a year ago between the hawkers’ association, the Mosta local council, the Malta Transport Authority (ADT), the police and Exalco Group Ltd. In this meeting, the Mosta local council had given Mr Zammit its assurance that it would not consent to the development if any one of the entities consulted objected.

Mr Zammit added the Assocjazzjoni tal-Bejjiegha tal-Monti never presented its “no objection”, a fact which he claims should automatically invalidate the Mepa permit.

In a move to accommodate both parties, Exalco Group Ltd had originally commissioned three alternative plans for the utilisation of the available space. However, the hawkers’ association secretary claimed that in reality, these plans attempted to squeeze 32 hawkers into 25 market bays. Mr Zammit indicated that the majority of hawkers occupy a space equivalent to the length of their van, while the rest take up only the equivalent of their van’s width.

One of the hawkers told The Malta Independent, “We have been in this market for the last 30 years, and all of a sudden we have been told to get out of the way. This is not right.”

For their part, the directors of Exalco Group Ltd claim that the development is covered by all necessary permits. The group’s directors told this newspaper that the substation does not cater solely for the building, but for a good part of the neighbourhood. Insurance companies therefore demand certain health and safety measures, without which it would be impossible to insure the building.

Besides, Exalco directors said they had to endure a lot of impositions while building the complex, including two parking bays for disabled persons in their underground garage. They said it is impossible for the disabled to park and reach the complex unaided on Mondays.

In addition to Exalco head offices, the Cornerstone Complex houses another company and a call centre – both foreign owned – as well as a shopping centre. These international firms, the directors said, are accustomed to health and safety features such as fire drills. Were drills to be held on a Monday morning, they said, they are bound to fail miserably. Besides, one of the establishments is a call centre working 24/7 on a three-shift basis, and must have round-the-clock access to the underground garage.

The directors, however, agree that the open-air market should not be eliminated, because it complements the business activities of Mosta. To this end, as a goodwill gesture, Exalco Group Ltd opted for a two-metre wide pavement and a single three-metre wide emergency lane, instead of the three-metre pavement and two five-metre wide lanes originally recommended by ADT. This would mean that hawkers would have to shift the market by only two metres. Excluding Mondays, the safe way will be used as parking bays. The Exalco Group directors also paid for the road surfacing of their side of the square themselves.

They added that the site where Cornerstone Complex stands today was earmarked for commercial development before the market, and that the complex replaced a dilapidated building which was an eyesore on Mosta’s busiest thoroughfare, Constitution Street.