San Ġwann to get 40 e-scooter parking bays

Trevor Fenech, mayor of San Ġwann announced that the locality will be designating 40 e-scooter parking bays in the coming weeks.

In a post on Facebook Fenech said that the local council has identified a number of sites where parking bays could be set up without taking any car parking spaces or blocking access to the pavements.

MaltaToday revealed that as part of a Transport Malta reform for the regularisation of e-scooters, designated parking bays would be set up and users will be charged if the scooters were not properly parked.

Transport Malta officers will also be allowed to enforce the legislation and take action against illegalities.

“We always believed in and encouraged alternative transport. E-scooters are part of this alternative and we encourage all those that make use of them, to do so responsibly and utilise the provided parking spaces,” Fenech said.

He said that 20 parking spaces will be set up next week, with another 20 being done at a later stage.

“This is the way forward for fewer cars on the road, cleaner air, a better environment and a brighter future. Together we can make it,” Fenech said.

Bolt, the largest operator on the island, charges customers €1 to unlock the vehicle, and a minute rate of €0.21. Users can also reserve a scooter for a later time. The application also allows users to report illegally parked scooters.

The company had also said it is aware of improper scooter parking, and its team is regularly working to introduce new features which prevent illegalities. It said it is working on a feature that allows users to park in specific zones, thanks to an inbuilt system in the scooter.

The debate surrounding rental scooters hit the spotlight over the past weeks, with a number of people taking to social media to vent their anger at the illegally parked scooters.

Mayors of localities in the eastern region, which includes Sliema, Gżira and St Julian's, publicly called for better regulation and enforcement since scooter use in their localities was causing an inconvenience for pavement users.