Prime Minister Robert Abela and his entourage of politically appointed persons of trust now occupy 47 reserved parking spaces in Valetta, mostly at Castille Square. This contributes significantly to the lack of parking for everyday commuters visiting or working in the capital.

Replying to a parliamentary question by PN MP Darren Carabott, Abela admitted that his office, including his parliamentary secretaries and their staff, now has 47 reserved bays exclusively for their parking, including those for their private vehicles.

Although the prime minister did not indicate whether this increase was due to his decision to increase the publicly funded staff in his private secretariat following the last elections, sources close to the local council confirmed this was the case.

Until a few years ago, government rules dictated that the prime minister could only engage 37 employees in his private secretariat.

Post the 2022 elections, Abela discreetly increased his staff by 26 officials, bringing the total to 71.

When Carabott asked to provide details on the entitlement to reserved parking, the location of these spaces, and the number of parking bays occupied by all the ministries in Valletta, Abela chose not to respond.

It is estimated that government ministries are occupying hundreds of spaces in the capital, and there is an acute problem of a lack of parking facilities. This, apart from government ministry vehicles parking illegally in different areas of the capital, blocking roads and commuter pathways.