Senglea man sues transport minister for inaction over illegal parking

A Senglea resident frustrated at the persistent failure to clamp down on blatantly illegal parking in his street, has gone to court with his case. 

Larry Abela filed a judicial protest against the Senglea local council, Transport Minister Joe Mizzi, Transport Malta, and Police Commissioner Laurence Cutajar – a draft copy of it has been seen by MaltaToday. Abela calls for the installation of bollards at the entrance and exit of Triq San Frangisk so as to stop vehicles from parking along it. 

Photos sent by Abela to MaltaToday show cars and a fruit van parked in the street, in clear breach of the double yellow lines banning parking. According to Abela, such breaches are an everyday occurrence and the situation has not improved at all since the Local Governance Board stepped in last year. 

“The road is no wider than three metres, with a pavement on either side, and is clearly marked with yellow lines to prohibit people from parking there,” he pointed out in his judicial protest. “Moreover, the local council issued an order in March 2014 that prohibits all traffic from passing through that street, as well as through Triq id-Duluri and Triq Sant’Anglu.”

He added that on several occasions he had flagged the fact that the laws weren’t being observed, but that the board had remained “completely passive”. 

The case goes back to February 2013, when the Local Governance Board had told Abela that all vehicles illegally parked in the street should be reported to the police or local wardens to be removed, and that the local council is obliged to ensure that the rules are being obeyed. 

In May 2014, Transport Malta told Abela in an email that it had directed the Senglea local council to install lockable bollards at the entry and exit points of Triq San Frangisk, so as to prevent traffic from passing through it. 

Following further complaints by Abela that people are parking their cars in his street “with the council’s blessing”, the Local Governance Board was forced in August 2015 to reiterate the stance it had taken two years ago. 

“Unless Transport Malta rules otherwise, Triq San Frangisk should remain open and accessible to the public, and the local council has the duty to ensure that people don’t park illegally along it.”

However, the closure of Triq San Frangisk and five other roads in Senglea to traffic was postponed indefinitely, after incoming mayor John Casha pledged to review the previous council’s proposal and hold fresh meetings about the issue with Transport Malta and the police. 

Casha told MaltaToday that the council is currently waiting for Transport Malta to respond to its request for a meeting. In the meantime, he said that the council has informed residents that they can no longer park in the street, which used to be accessible for parking between 4pm and 6am. 

“If the rules are not followed, then a report can be filed and indeed people have been fined for parking there,” he said.