Spokespersons for ADPD – The Green Party said that despite electoral promises, the growing problem of public spaces being taken over by commercial entities has yet to be taken seriously. They called for a policy that protects the interests of citizens first, taking a people-friendly approach rather than a business-friendly one.
ADPD Chairperson Sandra Gauci said that after the European Parliament and Local Council elections, Prime Minister Abela admitted that one of the things he wanted to work on was to have a balance between tables and seats for outdoor use and government-owned public spaces. “To this we add the deckchairs and umbrellas covering public spaces in a place like San Pawl il-Baħar. Abela’s bluff is clear from the fact that after he said these very words, not only have certain illegalities that were built recently were sanctioned, but the platforms for the tables have increased and we have continued to witness our public spaces being eaten up.”
While these establishments are being given permits by governmental entities, we want to ensure that these permits comply with the law, which is there to protect everyone, not just businesspeople. Having a permit does not mean you are abiding by the law; this is a failure on the part of the government that is more willing to please the businessmen than to embrace the laws of the country. What is a law worth if the government itself does not enforce the law, or worse still does not abide by it as in cases where its own entities grant permits where the law is clear that a permit cannot be issued?
While these establishments are granted permission by governmental authorities, we want to ensure that the permits follow the law, which is intended to protect everyone, not just businesspeople. We have a government that comfortably says one thing and does the exact opposite, which angers the locals; this is why the citizens are banding together, because the government is plainly ignoring their rights in order to give attention to the favoured few. This is clearly evident in San Pawl il-Baħar, especially in the main square and along the coast. But this is happening elsewhere, not only San Pawl il-Baħar.
We must decide exactly in which direction we will take this country; we want to see public spaces expand and be protected; this week in Mosta, the Mayor and local councillors representing the Nationalist Party have decided to take away the square from the people and reopen it for car use at all times, along with the pollution and obstacles to enjoyment of the town square these cars cause! They were not able to stand firm and defend a meagre day and a half of pedestrianisation a week without succumbing to such pressures. They have decided to deny residents the right to enjoy the square even for just a day and a half a week”, concluded Gauci.
ADPD – The Green Party public relations officer Brian Decelis stated that for years eateries and entertainment establishments have extended their commercial activity to public land. However, this became worse, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many temporary concessions became permanent and were even extended with the authorities’ approval.
“In recent months we have joined residents in various localities, from Valletta to Rabat, Gozo, where we protested against the appropriation of space by tables and chairs which is slowly stifling our public spaces. We have tried to walk from the Gżira coast to Tignè and one can barely manage to do so. This problem is also spreading in other locations such as Marsaskala, where the pavements are becoming congested with an increasing number of tables and chairs.
Moreover, we are witnessing the same problem on our beaches, in which umbrellas and sunbeds are taking over substantial parts of these same areas. Even where there are existing permits, they are allowed to extend beyond what is authorised, with the approval of the authorities, who turn a blind eye to this blatant misuse for various reasons.
ADPD calls for any development connected to government-owned public spaces in all our localities to be done in true consultation with the residents because this public land should serve the needs of the people before those of the businesses. There is a need for a people-friendly policy, not a business-friendly one”, concluded Decelis.
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Tuna l-ispazji pubbliċi lura
Kelliema tal-ADPD – The Green Party qalu li minkejja l-wegħdiet ta’ wara l-elezzjonijiet, il-problema ta’ spazji pubbliċi kkapparati minn entitajiet kummerċjali kompliet tikber. Huma sejħu għal politika li tħares l-interessi taċ-ċittadini l-ewwel – people-friendly u mhux business-friendly.
Iċ-Chairperson tal-ADPD Sandra Gauci qalet li wara r-riżultat tal-elezzjonijiet tal-Parlament Ewropew u tal-Kunsilli Lokali, il-Prim Ministru Abela ammetta li waħda mill-affarijiet li ried jaħdem fuqha hi li jkun hemm bilanċ bejn imwejjed u siġġijiet, u spazji pubbliċi. Ma’ dan aħna nżidu d-deckchairs u l-umbrelel li f’post bħal San Pawl il-Baħar ukoll jikkapparraw spazji pubbliċi. Il-bluff ta’ Abela jidher ċar mill-fatt li wara li qal dan il-kliem, mhux talli ċertu llegalitajiet li nbnew reċentement ġew sanzjonati iżda komplew jiżdiedu l-platforms għall-imwejjed u bqajna naraw l-ispazji pubbliċi dejjem jittieklu u jonqsu.
Filwaqt li dawn l-istabillimenti qed jingħataw permessi minn entitajiet governattivi, irridu naraw li l-permessi jikkonformaw mal-liġi, li qegħda hemm biex tħares lil kulħadd, mhux biss lin-nies tan-negozju. Li jkollok permess ma jfissirx li qiegħed ttirrispetta l-liġi; dan huwa nuqqas min-naħa tal-gvern li aktar lest li jingħoġob man-negozjanti milli jara li l-liġijiet tal-pajjiż jiġu rispettati. X’tiswa liġi jekk il-gvern stess ma jobdihiex u ma jinfurzahiex jew jibgħat messaġġi konfliġġenti fejn l-entitajiet tiegħu stess jagħtu permessi fejn il-liġi hi ċara li permess ma jistax jinħareġ?
Għandna gvern li komdu jgħid ħaġa u jagħmel eżatt bil-maqlub u huwa dan li jżid ir-rabja tar-residenti; għalhekk ir-residenti jingħaqdu bejniethom, għax min imexxi qiegħed b’mod ċar jinjora l-bżonnijiet u d-drittijiet tagħhom biex ipaxxi lil xi erba’ pampaluni. Dan jidher ċar f’San Pawl il-Baħar, speċjalment fil-pjazza bl-imwejjed, u anke mal-kosta. Imma japplika għal kullimkien, mhux għal San Pawl il-Baħar biss.
Irridu niddeċiedu eżatt x’direzzjoni se nagħtu lill-pajjiz; irridu naraw li l-ispazji pubbliċi tassew jitkattru u jiġu ppreservati; din il-ġimgħa stess fil-Mosta, il-Kunsill Nazzjonalista ddeċieda li jieħu lura l-pjazza mingħand in-nies u jagħtiha lura lill-karozzi, bit-tniġġis u l-ostakli għat-tgawdija tal-pjazza li jġibu magħhom! “Lanqas għal ġurnata u nofs m’huma kapaċi jżommu sodi bla ma jċedu għall-pressjoni, u minflok jħallu l-pjazza nofsha miftuħa għat-traffiku dejjem u f’kull ħin”, temmet tgħid Gauci
L-uffiċjal għar-relazzjonijiet pubbliċi tal-ADPD, Brian Decelis qal li s-sitwazzjoni fejn art pubblika tiitieħed minn stabbilimenti tal-ikel u divertiment biex jestendu l-attivita’ kummerċjali tagħhom ilha tikber is-snin. Imma din iggravat speċjalment minn żmien il-Covid fejn ħafna konċessjonijiet temporanji spiċċaw permanenti u anke estiżi bil-barka tal-awtoritajiet.
F’dawn l-aħħar xhur ingħaqadna ma’ residenti f’diversi lokalitijiet, mill-Belt Valletta sar-Rabat Għawdex fejn ipprotestajna kontra t-teħid ta’ spazju esaġerat minn imwejjed u siġġijiet li qegħdin joħonqu l-ispazji pubbliċi tagħna. Ippruvajna nimxu bejn ix-xatt tal-Gżira u Tignè u bilkemm jirnexxielek tagħmel dan. Din il-problema qegħda tinfirex ukoll f’lokalitijiet oħra bħal Marsaskala fejn il-bankini qegħdin jiġu maħnuqa b’numru dejjem jiżdied ta’ mwejjed u siġġijiet.
Fil-bajjiet tagħna imbagħad hemm il-problema ta’ umbrelel u sunbeds li jieħdu partitijiet sostanzjali minn dawn l-istess żoni. Anke fejn hemm permessi eżistenti, dawn jitħallew jestendu lilhinn minn dawk li jkollhom awtorizzat, u dan bil-barka tal-awtoritajiet li jagħlqu għajnejhom taħt skuża jew oħra għal dawn il-ħniżrijiet.
L-ADPD ssejjaħ biex kull żvilupp konness mal-ispazji pubbliċi fil-lokalitajiet tagħna jsir b’konsultazzjoni vera mar-residenti għaliex l-art pubblika għandha sservi l-ħtiġijiet tan-nies qabel dawk tan-negozji. “Hemm bżonn ta’ politika people-friendly, mhux business-friendly”, temm jgħid Decelis.
