The mayor of Qrendi recently boasted that the mid-May fireworks spectacle will be part financed by fines generated by LESA traffic fines. What cheek!

I would suggest that LESA community officers give a break to drivers who are not finding enough on-street parking spaces due to the take up of such spaces by restaurants’ tables and chairs, and instead concentrate on enforcing regulations at building sites, including the removal of unauthorised deposits of building material from streets and pavements. 

I also abhor the local councils who grant two skips to particular developers, when these are left empty for days but take up precious parking space.

The short-sighted policy of granting street parking areas to restaurants to accommodate tables and chairs increases the likelihood of traffic accidents due to an increase in the number of blind corners. Giving permission for chairs and tables on pedestrianised areas, pavements and parking spaces causes an increase in the number of traffic jams and obstructs emergency services – as was the case in Strait Street and Old Treasury Street in Valletta and elsewhere.

In addition, this is increasing pressure on public common areas, and depriving property owners of income because restaurants find it cheaper to usurp public areas than rent existing property.

C. Grech

Sliema