Nov 17 - GSD Slams Government's “Lack Of Parking Strategy”
The GSD has again criticised Government for what it calls its “total failure” to deal with the chaos that has become parking in Gibraltar and the stress that this causes to both locals and tourists.
A statement from the Opposition continued: “Despite Government's claims that it has provided additional parking facilities since coming to office it is impossible to reconcile this statement with the facts on the ground. The situation has never recovered from the loss of Commonwealth Parade, beneath which Government had promised to provide two floors of underground parking in its 2011 manifesto but which it quickly scrapped on entering office. The monstrously ugly Midtown car park, which replaced the free parking at Regal House has largely been sold off; we have reports of some lucky individuals having been given the opportunity to buy four or more spaces in this development, meanwhile the rest of us face a daily struggle to park to get to work.”
The party also says that the situation in Grand Parade “has reached crisis point.”
Trevor Hammond, GSD Transport Spokesman said: "I was invited to observe the proceedings at Grand Parade on a cleaning day and was astonished at what I saw. With tourist vehicles no longer permitted in the Upper Rock the pressures at this spot are greater than ever and demonstrates that Government gave little consideration to the impact of its Upper Rock policy on other areas. There were two clamping vehicles and six company officials ready in place before the restrictions began and precisely on the hour they began issuing tickets and clamps. It was a lesson in zero tolerance fining, something I have never seen in Gibraltar before and nothing that I would feel proud of. Residents of Alameda Estate are despairing of the situation which continues to deteriorate, despite five years of assurances from the Minister that he would sort it out for them.”
"The Government have spent four years and significant expense on consultants to produce a parking strategy which is not only still in draft form, but which will be outdated due to changing circumstances before it ever is published. There is no parking strategy and one has to fear that while the GSLP/Liberals remain in office they will continue to fail in this area which brings so much angst to our lives."
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