From Ms M. Camilleri-Pace

I have a feeling that the Valletta local council just does not want people like me who have a mobility problem to go there, as each time I decide to go to Valletta parking becomes more of a problem.

I cannot manage those high steps on buses and, as I cannot walk very far, I can’t park at Castile Place and then walk to wherever I want to go to. Many of the Disabled parking spaces have disappeared (the MCC is one case in point and I always risk getting a parking ticket even if I just stop to collect theatre tickets). Cars with no Blue Sticker invariably occupy the two at the Main Guard and nowadays, the only time I go to Valletta is when there is something I want to see at St James Cavalier.

On Tuesday 23 December I took the children to the Panto at the Manoel Theatre. I dropped them there at 6.50pm, and then spent 30 minutes going round the never-ending one-way streets trying to park not too far from the Manoel Theatre, which was impossible.

I finally parked on the bastions on the opposite side of the Auberge du Baviere about 100 metres away and phoned for an electric cab, which whizzed past me at such speed that I had no time to flag it down and it stopped at the far end of the Auberge.

As I was crossing the road and walking towards it the driver, instead of reversing to meet me, started hooting his horn and then I got told off when I finally got near him because I didn’t flag him down. Also, I think that paying e2 for a three-minute trip up the hill is exorbitant. I am more than sure that if the price were lowered many more people would make use of these cabs.

I think that 50 cents is more than enough for a one-way trip to anywhere in Valletta and most people would use them. Could we also please have more boards showing the telephone/mobile number we need to phone for one, as I had to phone Go customer care for it; I must say that they were really prompt in sending me two SMSs with both the telephone and the mobile numbers of the Electric Cab office.

As for the Panto, I think that as from next year it will only be the one at the MFCC in Ta’Qali to which I’ll be taking the children. I watched that on Sunday 21 December and there was no problem whatsoever. I did not mind driving all the way there at all except that somethings really need to be done and quickly since the MFCC is now being used for all sorts of things.

The first and most important thing is definitely more lights since a good part of the way to the MFCC is in pitch darkness; secondly, a great part of the way is full of potholes and quite big ones too; and finally we need more sign posting as I nearly got lost twice especially in the dark.

I do hope that this does not fall on the usual deaf ears of both the Valletta local council and the central government.

Margaret Camilleri-Pace

SLIEMA