GRTU insists upon a temporary parking in Valletta

Just a day after GRTU together with the Valletta Local Council suggested that the St James ditch, the place where the Sunday market sets up is the ideal place to be used as a temporary parking place, the Ministry for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications (MITC) informs that MEPA has given the green light for St. James Ditch to be transformed into a bus terminus.

However, GRTU during a meeting held on Monday 11^th October with officials from MITC continued to insist that until the new bus terminus commences with its services in January 2011, the ditch should be temporarily organized into a parking area. Although GRTU is totally in favour of the ongoing and more proposed upgrading works in the capital city, it is in the meantime preoccupied about the problem of parking now that the Christmas festivities are nearing.

In the meantime a total of 200 new parking bays should be made available in the coming days in the vicinity of the Phoenicia Hotel. Another 100 spaces will be available outside City Gate to replace the ones lost due to the City Gate embellishment projects.  GRTU is also in discussions for the provision of an extra 200 spaces in a number of vital locations servicing Valletta. Moreover, the MCP Car Park in Floriana and the Park and Ride areas in the environs of Floriana and Blata l-Bajda will each be extended by another 500 parking spaces. New spaces at Park and Ride will be replacing the tal-White Complex that will be removed as the embellishment projects are underway.

GRTU understands that this option may need further planning before being put into practice but since government will be embellishing the area for the new bus terminus, the area can in the meantime be utilized to alleviate the parking problem since shop owners, shoppers and people who work in Valletta and who often need to run quick errands in the city, are facing a continues problem with parking.

The GRTU committee is discussing this option and others deemed viable and expresses its concern as to when the proposed new spaces will finally be established. GRTU has also welcomed the temporary solution of having Members of Parliament parking in Merchants Street in the afternoon as long as the solution is temporary one. Following this move a number of parking spaces in Archbishop Street and Republic Street have been regained.

Other issues discussed were the fine tuning of the CVA and also the Park and Ride (Carnival Village area) with the capacity of 216 spaces not so popular with the users because it is about two/five minutes walk to the terminus. It also lacks adequate signage.

GRTU continues to inform its members about the Valletta Project Plan 2010 – 2011 via newSTRING. The Valletta Project Plan 2010 – 2011 will be exhibited at the GRTU Headquarters in Republic Street.