The Ombudsman has found that Transport Malta gave incorrect guidance on vehicles parked in front of garages, after investigating a complaint involving repeated obstructions in Santa Venera.
The complaint concerned vehicles regularly blocking access to a garage in Triq l-Imsida, leaving its owner unable to enter or leave freely.
The resident had put up signs warning motorists not to park in front of the garage, but Transport Malta instructed him to remove them because they had not been authorised.
However, the Ombudsman found that while the authority was correct to order the removal of the signs, its interpretation of the parking rules was incorrect.
Transport Malta had maintained that vehicles could park in front of a garage as long as drivers left a telephone number where they could be contacted.
The Ombudsman said this was inconsistent with Regulation 77(2) of Subsidiary Legislation 65.11, which prohibits parking in a way that prevents another vehicle from having free access to or from premises clearly marked and used as a garage.
The investigation also found that Transport Malta had failed to provide the complainant with clear guidance on how to address the recurring problem.
The Ombudsman recommended that the authority correct its interpretation of the law, inform its officials of the correct position and coordinate with LESA and, where necessary, the Police to ensure action is taken against vehicles unlawfully blocking garage access.
However, the recommendations remained unimplemented.
After receiving no response from Transport Malta, the Ombudsman referred the matter to the Prime Minister on 17 September 2026. On 15 October, he submitted his Final Opinion and the relevant documentation to the Speaker of the House of Representatives for Parliament’s consideration.
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