Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1518324
11 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 31 MARCH 2024 MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt DRIVERS of Y-plate cars are us- ing the parking facilities of Lidl supermarkets to park their vehi- cles in what appears to be a way of circumventing existing rules. It is unclear whether the driv- ers have lease agreements with the supermarket giant on parking slots in these facilities. Lidl Malta did not reply to this newspaper's questions. However, MaltaToday is in- formed that cars left overnight in Lidl parking lots are charged €60 per night. A private garage facility or off- street parking is required by all Y-plate operators since vehicles cannot be parked on the street and in public areas when not in use. However, last October, Trans- port Malta (TM) announced new regulations aimed at operators who have five or more vehicles in their fleet in a bid to curb abuse in the sector. These operators must keep their vehicles garaged in a commercial garage when not in use, not a residential garage. Last year, MaltaToday reported that scores of operators within the cab industry were illegally park- ing their vehicles overnight in a variety of public locations across Malta. Others were also parking their cars in fields and supermar- ket parking spaces, a practice that does not conform to the law. Operators must prove that the off-street parking space or garage used by them is reserved solely for their registered vehicles. TM gave operators 12 months from the commencement date to abide by the regulations if they hold a valid operator licence or an application for the issuance of a licence is still pending. MaltaToday understands that the Y-plate vehicles found in su- permarket parking lots belong to various operators. Most of the vehicles belong to fleet operators with more than five vehicles. Industry insiders speaking to MaltaToday said the "illegal prac- tice" is unfair on operators who invested large sums to have the necessary infrastructure to garage their vehicles. One operator who spoke to this newspaper on condition of ano- nymity explained that such a prac- tice arises from negligence by fleet owners and the drivers of Y-plate vehicles. He explained that even if large fleet owners own the required ga- raging facilities, they usually allow their drivers to take the Y-plate vehicles home, instead of requir- ing them to return them to the garages. "They'd rather risk parking ille- gally to avoid a commute to the garage," the operator explained. The cab-hailing sector has seen a series of changes over the years with the number of drivers and operators experiencing a boom since authorities lowered the bar- riers of entry to the sector. In 2018, the highest number of tags were issued by TM, with 4,425 driver tags issued. Various operators are lamenting the oversaturated market result- ing from such a driver increase, leading to many operators being squeezed out of business. Y-plate cars popping up in Lidl supermarket parking lots Supermarket silent on whether it is charging cab owners rent for parking slots Cars with Y-plates parked overnight at various LIDL parking facilities ANNOUNCEMENT OF A CALL FOR PROJECT PROPOSALS UNDER Common Agricultural Policy 2023-2027 The Ministry responsible for European Funds announces the launch of a call for the following project proposals as indicated hereunder: Intervention 73.5: On-Farm Productive Investments (Simplified scheme up to a maximum of €15,000 grant) The call will close on 19th June 2024 at noon. The online application form for the submission of project proposals and supporting documentation are available on https://fondi.eu/what-funding-is-available/. Prospective applicants are encouraged to refer to the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan and the Eligibility Guidance Notes to confirm whether their proposals are eligible for funding through this call for project proposals. Further information on this call and on the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan may be obtained from https://fondi.eu/. Any query should be sent by email on fondi.eu@gov.mt. A number of dedicated information sessions are being organised on: • Wednesday 10 th April 2024 • Tuesday 23 rd April 2024 • Wednesday 24 th April 2024 • Thursday 25 th April 2024 Registration for the information session can be done by scanning the below QR code or call on 2779 7300.