The Park and Ride car park that the government has gradually been extending could eventually provide spaces for 1,800 cars, Roads and Urban Develop-ment Minister Jesmond Mugliett announced yesterday. He was speaking at a media conference held in the new area forming part of the extension of the Park and Ride car park. The new area, in Triq Nazzjonali, Blata l-Bajda, was previously used to store containers and can accommodate an additional 300 vehicles, but will not be serviced by the shuttle bus that operates to and from Valletta.

Minister Mugliett said the government’s total investment in the Park and Ride project has reached Lm500,000 (EUR1.16 million).

The new area has been cleaned up, given a new layer of tarmac, pavements, a lighting system and crash barriers – a total investment of about Lm65,000 (EUR151,409) – and will be fully functional within the next few days.

Mr Mugliett said the extension to the Park and Ride area was much needed, following the success of the system since it was introduced last November.

While parking in the new area will still be free of charge, customers will be able to either walk to the main Park and Ride car park to make use of the minibus shuttle service, or pay 10 cents (EUR0.23) and make use of bus number 198, which is currently mostly used by tourists travelling to and from the cruise passenger terminal at Grand Harbour.

This service will complement the minibus shuttle service, and the Public Transport Association is currently considering ways of making use of other Valletta-bound bus routes.

Mr Mugliett also spoke about calls for tenders that were issued last week dealing with the management of the Park and Ride system, as well as the provision of security services and shuttle vans.

The minister explained that the current shuttle service operator was hired on a temporary basis and the new operator would be obliged to provide 18-seat vans that were also accessible to people with a disability.

The Park and Ride system is used by 1,500 to 2,000 people on a daily basis and, on average, 1,000 cars use the car park every day.

As a result of the extension, the Park and Ride car parks will now accommodate 1,250 cars at any one time, but further planned extensions could mean that the various car parks in the area could accommodate a total of 1,800 cars.

Mr Mugliett spoke about the need to increase accessibility to the capital, so the government is considering strengthening the Park and Ride system, which will be introduced in a number of other areas, including Paceville.