The introduction of the Controlled Vehicular Access (CVA) scheme in Valletta has made the city more accessible to people, both for shopping as well as for entertainment, said Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett.

In the month since the new system was introduced, he said, nearly 70,000 cars had entered Valletta. This figure is almost double the number of cars that could have entered the capital city when the V licence system was in place previously, to which only 33,000 cars were subscribed.

Mr Mugliett said that an average of 10,472 cars entered Valletta between Mondays and Fridays, while an average of 7,818 cars entered the city at the weekend, and most cars spent at least two hours in the capital city in May.

Speaking at a meeting with the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises (GRTU), the minister explained that before the CVA was introduced, access to Valletta had been very limited, especially during the day, due to parking problems. Now, he said, people are finding it much easier to drive into Valletta, park almost immediately and attend to their needs in a short period of time.

He said that all the decisions taken by the government and the project currently under way in Valletta are aimed at making Valletta more attractive and more accessible. He gave as examples the CVA, the Park and Ride scheme, the pedestrianisation of certain parts of the city and the repaving of several roads.

Mr Mugliett said the government is committed to continue to make Valletta more accessible, and is four square behind the GRTU in its promotional campaign about the CVA and its benefits.

During its campaign, the GRTU will be distributing around 16,000 parking vouchers to its members, redeemable when people park inside Valletta when the CVA is in operation. The shops will be able to hand these out to their customers. This is the same system that is used in car parks in entertainment venues.

Mr Mugliett said that the government, in collaboration with the GRTU, will soon be launching a campaign urging people to use the CVA intelligently. “There is a false impression that the parking charges are expensive and this discourages people from coming into Valletta in their car, either for shopping or for entertainment purposes. The charge of 35 cents an hour is the cheapest rate in Malta, compared to other private car parks. People do not pay anything if they enter Valletta after 5.30pm, and parking on Saturday afternoons and all day on Sundays and public

holidays is free,” he said.

The minister appealed to the owners of business and catering establishments to be open for business times when vehicular access to Valletta is free of charge, because of the increase in the amount of traffic.

Mr Mugliett said that since the CVA had been introduced, there had been an increase in the use of public transport and an increase in the use of the Park and Ride scheme. He said that other initiatives, such as the introduction of more express routes and the conclusion of negotiations concerned with the Vertical Connections project, will be announced in the coming weeks.