A few days ago, residents of various localities joined activists from several NGOs to protest what they say has been a take-over of public places by restaurant owners.

They argue that public places should remain... public, in the sense that they should remain accessible to people walking the streets and squares. They requested that authorities responsible for issuing permits should be more careful when giving outlet owners permission to make use of public space from which they can profit, and that the enforcement of laws should become more robust.

As things are, many of these public spaces are occupied by tables and chairs and, while on most occasions these are covered by a permit, it is not uncommon that there is abuse. The protesters say they are not against the practice, but believe that there should be better control and less abuse. Residents and passers-by should not be hampered by street furniture.

What is perhaps worse is that there have been occasions when ambulances were prevented from reaching patients because tables and chairs made it impossible for the vehicle to be driven through. Precious minutes were lost in the process, and in such emergency situations every second counts. Such situations have happened mostly in Valletta.

But, aside from the capital city, encroachment is visible in many other tourist areas, such as Sliema, St Julian's, Mellieha, Marsaxlokk, Marsascala and St Paul's Bay (Bugibba and Qawra included).

In a Mediterranean country like Malta, it is to be expected that people enjoy themselves dining out, or having a drink, outdoors. Our climate is kind enough to give us months of mild weather, giving us the possibility to enjoy outdoor activities, including eating out in open spaces. Few are the days when heavy rain and strong winds make this an unhappy experience.

So it is understandable that restaurant and bar owners try their best to use space outside their outlet to their benefit. And the protesters do not want this to stop either. What they insist for is that this should not come at the expense of public access.

We have already mentioned ambulances. But we could also speak of parents with prams and pushchairs, and people with mobility problems, for whom it can be a nightmare to move from one place to another because of what they come across on the pavements and in squares (and, we take the opportunity to say that: 1. it is not only street furniture that makes access difficult; very often rubbish bags can block pavements too, and; 2. Many of our pavements are so difficult to walk on, with uneven surfaces and missing tiles that can result in falls or ankle twists).

The occupation of public spaces is even worse in streets that are narrow, which means that any street furniture makes it harder for people to walk through.

It is all a question of balance, or a compromise. Nobody wants restaurants to be prohibited from obtaining permits to use public space for outdoor dining/drinking. But the needs of the residents and other passers-by must also be respected, and abuse - such as taking over more space than permitted - should not be tolerated.