First we had a hopeless car-free day with some ministers and MPs going through the whole charade of forgoing their favourite mode of transport (and status symbol) once a year and now we have this. It speaks volumes about the sincerity of certain political messages by both parties. Bollocks to Car free Days. You know what – bollocks to the whole business of environmental conscience. Bollocks to it all so long as I can park my car as lazily close to the Parliament as possible.
Part of Merchants Street in Valletta, which has been turned into a pedestrian zone, has become a car park for Members of Parliament and ministers. The decision was taken last week following consultation between the whips of the two sides of the House and the Valletta local council, which agreed with the proposal since it would free up other parking spaces that could be used by shoppers and residents.
The icing on the cake must be “since it would free up other parking spaces that could be used by shoppers and residents”. Here are a few J’accuse off the cuff notes:
1) All the drilling into the spanking new Merchant Street lava stones (how long ago since the inauguration for the greater comfort and pleasure of the people?) for what in practice amounts to a temporary parking spot. Upon completion of the new house of parliament (Pace Piano) the Ministers and MPs on both sides of the plagued house will surely want the parking bays to be shifted closer for their greater convenience. What short-brained bulldozering of any kind of sensitivity could come up with this sort of mass cock up in PR? The kind that reasons that “if we do this together – both sides of the house agreeing – then we risk losing an equal number of votes – and we both know that we won’t coz people are people you see.
2) Then there’s this very Maltese thing of having to have the cars PARKED as close as possible to the parliament. To set an example, and if they really have to drive to and fro their meetings of mass hand clapping (see yesterday’s sitting reserved for eulogies before they adjourned for the long weekend) why not have a Parliamentary Park & Ride? Identify/block a parking area within reasonable distance from Valletta and then just drop off your car there. Use the 1€ electric cabs for christssakes! Naaah. That would not work would it? Better block off the entrance to the Market with a parade of ego-heavy MP cars and show the people that their representatives cannot be bothered to make the effort.
The whole issue just falls in line with the myriad others that demonstrate the facility with which faux eco-policies of the PLPN kind are unmasked. After the “lilliputian” discoveries in Sliema – you know “we serve our MPs and Labour councillors serve their MPs” – I am still wondering what more will it take before the people open their eyes the next time they vote.
Government for the people by the people… now that’s becoming one hell of a joke.
Addendum (with a nod to a Mr. P. Galea) – listen out at 1.30
Related articles by Zemanta
- 4,000 free bus tickets on offer for Car Free Day (yorkpress.co.uk)
