It was called a ‘short term solution’ but has proved to be anything but.

At Marsaxlokk, waiters laden with food have to cross an area congested with market stalls to get to the tables that are situated on the other side of the stalls.

Unsurprisingly, the restaurant owners are on the warpath, saying that they cannot see their clients at the tables because the stalls impede their vision.

Following a meeting held last week at the Ministry for Fair Competition, SMEs and Consumer Affairs regarding the Marsaxlokk promenade issues, in the presence of Ministers Jason Azzopardi and Mario de Marco, representatives from Transport Malta, Marsaxlokk local council and the market hawkers, together with GRTU official Carmen Borg and lawyer Jan Karl Farrugia, the GRTU wrote to the Ministers, giving them its position in writing.

It said it is in agreement with the proposals made by Dr Stanley Portelli regarding the traffic in Xatt is-Sajjieda – in the short-term reducing the traffic speed and flow, and in the long-term converting the promenade to a pedestrianised area.

However, it still has reservations regarding the viability of this proposal, due to the fishermen’s constant need to access slipways and other designated areas.

The GRTU insists that in order to ensure a level playing field, the government should proceed according to the proposed plan submitted to Mepa, and mathematically calculate what size of stall will fit in the designated area when multiplied by 21 market hawkers.

GRTU argued that the current abuse, with certain market stalls exceeding 90 feet in length, should never be accepted by the government and the local council.

Should the stalls for the market hawkers in Marsaxlokk come even remotely close to the suggested sizes, then there will not be any issue regarding them fitting comfortably in the space earmarked on the plan submitted for the amendment of the Master Plan.

Short-term plans for the area should therefore allow restaurant owners to place tables and chairs in accordance with the submitted plans, whilst regulating appropriate interim stall sizes for the hawkers, GRTU said.