Government's Integrated Traffic, Parking and Transport Plan includes the creation of parking schemes to make provision for the different kinds of parking needs of the various different categories of citizens at different times of the day and in the various different areas of Gibraltar. In other words,says the government, parking should accommodate the needs of people who live in a particular area and also citizens who go to that area when visiting family or friends or shopping or visiting other local businesses.
The schemes will include pay parking by purchasing a ticket from a machine. There will also be free spaces. The pay parking is necessary, says the government, to discourage long-term parkers from monopolising certain areas.
In a statement the government adds: Visitors to Gibraltar should be encouraged to use designated parking facilities, rather than compete with local residents in residential areas. Now that Phase 1 of the Devil's Tower Road Multi Storey Car Park is operational, and Phase 2 will be ready before the summer, the Government is able to proceed with this new structured approach to parking, since designated parking facilities for visitors to Gibraltar are now available.
PARKING ZONES
The Government says it has devised a scheme whereby Gibraltar is divided into a number of zones. Within each zone, parking facilities will be divided into four types, namely:
(i) Parking reserved for people who live within that zone. This will be regulated by the issue of permits to such people to be known as "Residents' Permits".
Only holders of such permits will be able to make use of parking spaces designated for Residents' Permit Holders Only.
(ii) Free parking spaces for cars available to everyone;
(iii) Free parking spaces for motor cycles available to everyone;
(iv) "Pay and Display" parking spaces for cars, where parking will only be available on payment of a charge and purchasing a ticket from a nearby machine.
These are important and necessary because only by having some parking spaces for which there is a charge can they be protected from monopolisation by long term parkers and thus be available for people visiting a zone for social, shopping or other business reasons. "This can only realistically be achieved by imposing a parking fee which will be reasonable for short time parking but discourage monopolisation of the spaces by long term parking. The cost of the investment in the necessary equipment, collecting the money from machines and enforcement will greatly exceed the revenue to Government," says statement.
TRIAL SCHEME
The Government will now trial a Pilot Scheme in a Zone which comprises Laguna Estate, Devil's Tower Road (and all parallel and adjacent streets), Catalan Bay and Both Worlds this will be Zone 1 ("North District"). If the Pilot Scheme works successfully it will be deployed across all parts of Gibraltar in the coming months.
The Pilot Scheme "goes live" in Zone 1 on Monday 4th April. Separate public statements and advertisements will be issued during the next few days in relation to the zone affected by the Pilot Scheme.
The necessary legislation will be promulgated during the next fortnight in the form of a new "Traffic (Parking and Waiting) Regulations" made under the Traffic Act, which will consolidate all subsidiary legislation dealing with parking and waiting. Separate announcements will be made in relation to the new measures contained in these Regulations.
The Scheme will be operated and administered on behalf of the Government by Gibraltar Car Parks Limited, a Company wholly owned and controlled by the Government. The Government is consolidating within this company all parking functions and responsibilities, including operating all Government parking schemes, multi storey and other parking facilities, removal of derelict, abandoned and other vehicles, vehicle tow away, enforcement of parking and waiting schemes and laws and administration of the fixed penalty notice scheme.
ENFORCEMENT
The new scheme, as well as other elements of the Integrated Plan relating to parking will require high levels of enforcement if they are to work successfully, says the government, which adds that it is thus establishing a new body of enforcement officers, to be known as Highways Enforcement Officers. 16 uniformed Highways Enforcement Officers have now been recruited, who together with 4 from the existing GSS staff who are transferring will constitute the initial cadre. They will now undergo a process of training until the end of March. The necessary administrative staff has also been recruited. All recruitment is into Gibraltar Car Parks Limited.
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