The GSD says that the Government's announcement that it will increase parking from £65 to £95 per month at Europlaza, New Harbours, Theatre Royal and Engineers Lane, representing a 47% increase have been made “without public warning.” The party says that further increases of up to 50% are anticipated for other car parking areas are the latest measures that "cannot be seen in isolation" as they follow similar price hikes in the MidTown parking.

A statement continued: “These measures are being rammed through without public discussion let alone public consultation. Other traffic measures are being expedited and implemented in a manner that is too hasty and does not allow proper planning or other supportive measures to be put in place.

“Traffic, transport and parking are key areas of policy which affect the lives of all in our community and there are a myriad of views on recently announced package of traffic and parking measures.

“The recent announcements have led to widespread confusion as to the detailed rationale for the measures which are ultimately framed around discouraging the use of cars on our roads on environment grounds. Detailed modelling and expert advice needs to be taken in order to ensure that these measures will work and they have taken into account the impact they will have on the wider community. The language and messaging on the measures appears to radically change almost daily. On the 4th May the Chief Minister announced what he described as "bold" road closures by 1 June. The Government press office then pushed out language describing road closures as "partial" and now it appears that the public are being fed the line that the closure will now look and feel like a "road restriction". These measures were being rushed by 1 June when insufficient planning had been carried out and any consultation carried out from now till the end of the month can only be cursory.

“In relation to the reintroduction of road tax the Government appears to now be rowing back from that with the Minister now publicly describing this as a "pollution tax". The redefinition of policies looks like shooting from the hip and is demonstrating to the public that the Government has not thought this through. In respect of parking charges the Government have failed to explain the detailed rationale for the significant increases and what they hope to achieve causing widespread disquiet amongst many.”

Shadow Minister for Transport, Health and the Environment, Elliott Phillips said;

"We all want a greener, cleaner and safer Gibraltar for all members of our community. However, we all also want a clear, consistent and detailed plan which will reassure members of the public as to the purpose behind significant traffic and parking measures. None of this was in the Sustainable Transport plan published before the election produced at considerable cost to the taxpayer or in their manifesto on which they asked people to vote for them. As a community we can be bold but there is no excuse for not doing the groundwork and poor planning of ill-thought out measures which the Government eventually abandons as in the case of their failed attempt at introducing cycling lanes in Main Street/Irish Town. The Government needs to pause, reflect and if need be go back to the drawing board and engage in constructive dialogue with all stakeholders in order to win the argument and not recklessly shoot from the hip and ram through measures which have caused widespread discontent."