Reluctance from government on removal of illegal Sliema ticket booths

Sliema Mayor John Pillow has admitted he has been unable to fulfil his promise to remove the illegal ticket booths along the promenade despite his best efforts, saying the necessary cooperation from the government was lacking.

He has not given up on trying to remove some 40 booths located on less than one kilometre of the promenade. These booths are illegal, and some operators have multiple booths.

Last year, Pillow informed The Shift he aimed to have them removed by November. Meanwhile, the Council introduced a by-law instructing operators to prepare for the removal of their booths.

Yet most illegal booths remain in place. Employees from four major tourist companies—Captain Morgan, Luzzu, Hera, and Supreme Cruises—continue to sell tickets to tourists.

Pillow admitted that he was finding it very challenging to proceed with the removals. “I know what I promised, and assure you that I am working tirelessly to remove these illegal booths,” Pillow said. “However, I cannot act alone. We need the government’s cooperation, which is currently lacking.”

Pillow would not say which government ministries were not cooperating. “Some government officials say one thing and then do another. This is a big problem. If they cooperate, we can address the illegalities. We are ready.”

The Shift has learned that the two ministries directly involved in this issue are the Tourism Ministry, led by Ian Borg following the recent dismissal of Clayton Bartolo, and the Lands Ministry, headed by Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi.

Recently, the Sliema Council began refurbishing a small section of the promenade. While the booths in that area were removed, it is unclear whether this is a permanent or temporary measure.

Sources indicate that most operators are willing to cooperate and remove the illegal booths, provided all operators are treated equally.

“Cruise operators should have two or three booths each, and no more. This is the way forward, and we understand that most of them have already agreed to this. However, as usual, there are exceptions, and the government is reluctant to make enemies,” a senior source at the Malta Tourism Authority explained.

The illegal booths have been an issue for decades, with both PN and PL administrations opting for a hands-off approach rather than intervening to resolve the situation in one of the island’s busiest areas.

Despite lacking planning permits, Enemalta still provided most of the booths with electricity meters, which is against the law.