We refer to the article entitled “Gudja residents complain airport-related parking is leaving them with no parking space at all” (TMIS, 12 August) and would like to make the following comments.
1. The local council has been working long and hard to find a solution to the parking problems at Gudja. The fact that this has now caught the attention of the media will help to bring awareness of this problem at a national level, in the hope that the powers that be and the stakeholders involved will work together for a long-term solution.
2. It is a fact that councillor Mark Anthony Sammut and I (who both deal directly with Transport Malta and Public Transport matters) had submitted an application for the introduction of a residential scheme, together with the residents’ petition months ago and much before any public mention of this matter. We also held a meeting recently with high-ranking officials of TM about the council’s application for this residential parking scheme, as TM wanted further clarifications on the council’s application.
3. During the meeting, the councillor and I explained the need for the urgent approval and authorisation of TM for this Residential Parking, as proposed by the Gudja local council. At a certain stage of the discussion, an agreement was reached with TM officials for more streets to be added to the scheme to make the proposal more embracing and feasible.
4. The local council had already invested in the re-surfacing of Triq Ħal Resqun and the nearby areas in the vicinity of Malta International Airport at Gudja, but these areas are now nearly all taken up by vehicles not belonging to Gudja residents, to the frustration of both the council and residents.
5. The council feels that a long-term solution calls for the participation of the stakeholders, mainly Malta International Airport at Gudja, TM and the Gudja local council that, besides having a proper residential parking scheme, the MIA will participate with the Gudja local council on a project to provide parking spaces for the benefit of Gudja residents.
6. Gudja Local Council will continue to work hard for a long-term solution to the problem and look forward to the participation and co-operation of all stakeholders concerned.
The challenge is not simply to arouse the interest of the politicians to be involved in this matter; it goes beyond looking for a medium term solution to obtain permits for the Residential Parking Scheme but also includes obtaining the suitable investment for a suitable parking area in which the residents of Gudja will be the net beneficiaries.
John-Mary Calleja
Mayor, Gudja Local Council