The appropriation of part of Archbishop Street in Valletta by a number of catering outlets to set up tables and chairs and even park their own cars have irked nearby residents as well as the city’s local council, who is opposed to the permanent encroachment in such a narrow street.
The outlets in question are all located in the part of the street between Republic Street and Merchants’ Street, facing the side of the Palace.
The centrally-located street sees a significant amount of pedestrian traffic, which a number of catering outlets have capitalised upon, but it is not pedestrianised, with a fair amount of traffic passing during the day. It lies at the end of the non-pedestrian part of Merchants’ Street, and is thus the main exit route for cars passing through that street, as well as others in nearby parts of Valletta seeking to head to the Marsamxett area.
Its narrow width has made accommodating traffic, car parking spaces – in a city where these are at a premium – and pedestrians a challenge.
Until recently, it had been flanked by two narrow pavements, but one was taken over for parking by cars in spaces which were exclusively reserved for residents. Pedestrians were left with little room to navigate, especially when delivery trucks and other large vehicles passed through.
But the recent repaving of a number of Valletta streets addressed this problem. The narrow pavements were removed, the street was paved with lava tiles, and fixed bollards were installed to delineate an area for the safe passage of pedestrians. This area was made even safer through the placement of parking spaces creating distance between pedestrians and passing vehicles.
However, it did not take long for the street’s catering outlets to apply to set up tables and chairs in the street, and this encroachment is often forcing pedestrians into the part designated for vehicles.
A quick look at the MEPA website confirms that three catering outlets in the area – Ambrosia, D’Office and Angelica – applied to place tables and chairs in the street outside of their premises in the past year.
Ambrosia and D’Office’s applications were both approved on the same day, 17 April, while Angelica’s own bid was refused on 28 May. However, the lack of a permit did not stop the café from emulating its peers and setting up tables and chairs of its own.
The creation of makeshift boundaries using potted plants has made passage even more difficult, especially for those who cannot navigate through narrow spaces for various reasons, including wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs.
A resident who contacted The Malta Independent observed that many people would start walking on the pedestrian side, only to find that they have to turn back halfway through and continue walking in the zone reserved for motorists.
No consultation with local council
Valletta mayor Alexiei Dingli confirmed that the council itself has received various complaints about the encroachment, and that the council is opposed to it.
He observed that he had no issue with the occasional placement of tables and chairs for special occasions, but objected to the permanent encroachment on a street which is not readily adaptable to it.
“Obviously, this arrangement creates a danger to pedestrians,” Prof. Dingli remarked.
The mayor noted that the local council had not been consulted when the permit to encroach on the street was sought, and that parking reserved for residents was similarly taken over by the outlets without consultation.
Adding insult to injury, however, is that the outlets are not even respecting the terms of the permits granted, Prof. Dingli noted. For instance, the outlets each should have one parking space, but were clearly taking up more.