Moviment Graffitti Backs Call Against Public Space Take Over

Activist group Moviment Graffitti has backed the call by residents who are speaking out against the eating up of public space for commerce.

The Office of the Ombudsman, the activist group highlighted, backed this as well in a statement published last week, as it demanded firm action to make pavements safe and accessible for older people, persons with disabilities, and families with young children.

This was the aim, they said, of ‘Il-Bankini taċ-Ċittadini’ campaign.

‘Weak enforcement has turned our pavements into private restaurant extensions, blocking pedestrians, wheelchairs, pushchairs, and even ambulances. This encroachment is not only unfair. It is cruel and indifferent to people with disabilities, indifferent to a right to walk safely on a pavement, and ultimately places profit over people.’

The alarm is being raised by the Ombudsman, who called it a systemic issue.

‘Forget glossy masterplans like the €24,000 tables-and-chairs scheme for Valletta's Merchants Street. We need real enforcement powers for the Planning Authority and local councils, because current laws are toothless and ignored.’

‘Over-tourism is eating away at residents' basic rights. Our towns and villages are not open-air museums to be exploited by commercial greed, but lived environments, where people have a right to enjoy their community.’

#MaltaDaily