‘Abandoned’ park-and-ride is re-evaluated

The Transport Ministry is actively evaluating potential options for the “abandoned” park-and-ride car park in Blata l-Bajda after more than two years of disuse. The open-air car park used to accommodate some 200 cars but the site has remained relatively empty since the free shuttle service to Valletta was discontinued by Arriva in 2011. This has resulted in the residential and commercial areas of Blata l-Bajda experiencing a significant increase in congestion and pollution caused by the large number of vehicles vying for one of the limited parking spots. “We get to work stressed and our clients are hesitant to come to our offices,” said Christopher Mintoff, an architect whose offices are adjacent to the site. Local business owners wrote to the ministry last year describing the car park as a “wasted resource”, which they claimed was negatively impacting their businesses. Operators said their several calls and e-mails to the transport authority in the past were ignored, as both Arriva and the transport authority would not take responsibility for the running of the parking facilities. “I called and sent in e-mails but kept getting sent to and fro. “This could be solved quite easily...