MaltaToday

LETTERS | Sunday, 15 July 2007

Valletta Parking mess

Paul Borg Olivier, Mayor, Valletta

I refer to Anna Mallia’s column in MaltaToday, 8 July 2007 with the header Valletta Parking mess wherein she makes sweeping allegations; that I, as Mayor of Valletta, have a reserved parking space in front of my office.
Before Dr Mallia jots down whatever comes to her mind, it would be helpful to check the the facts out first. May I stress that as Mayor of Valletta I do not have a reserved space in front of my office and have to look for one whenever I make use of my car.
The Mayor has no privilege (like others she may have mentioned) and this is because as a supporter of the whole CVA Strategy, the Council wishes to lead by example.
The Valletta Local Council is sensitive to all the issues pertaining to the parking strategy introduced, which will continue to prove itself in the months to come with the necessary fine tuning that it may need, as it has always been stated that the system is a dynamic one, able to respond to trends and needs.
The system is designed for the collective common interest of Valletta respecting the different users of the city. Any system designed to focus on each user and commuter is a non-starter.

OPINIONS

Saviour Balzan: Pardon me, did you say Presidential Pardon? In the interview with Jesmond Mugliett, I tried very hard to be sober. I cannot say I agreed with all of his answers, but credit where credit’s due...

Claire Bonello: Vongole or votes? On several occasions, the editor of this newspaper Saviour Balzan has written of his intention to organize a day trip to Sicily on election day. He says that his voting document will be poked into his pet budgie’s cage and he and the growing number of Maltese citizens who are disgusted with the state of Maltese politics will have a short break from our shores to savour a marinara feast across the waters....

Raphael Vassallo: We need a bigger bandwagon Ah the little joys of life. Last week the inventor of media spin in the 21st Century, as well as the chief architect behind the justification of the Iraq war in 2003, published his much-anticipated diaries...

Anna Mallia: Equality, my foot! In Malta we have a commission entitled the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality whose aim is also to ensure that there is equality between the sexes, I am afraid to say that they are more focused on equality on paper than in practice.