WATCH: ‘Whoever buys a flat should be forced to buy a garage,’ says Qala Mayor

Paul Buttiġieġ, Mayor of Qala, a Gozitan village of arounnd 2,300 people, has called on the authorities to make it a legal requirement that whoever buys an apartment should be forced to also buy a garage for their car.

Speaking on national television station TVM during an episode of the discussion programme Popolin, Mr Buttiġieġ said that many residents who have parked on the street for years are now no longer finding parking as new blocks of apartments draw in new residents with their own parking needs.

“We’re having so many problems,” he said, pointing to the Ta’ Kassja development, spearheaded by major developer Joseph Portelli, that will see another 165 apartments added to the small locality.

“Tell me, in this road of Ta’ Kassja, there will be 165 flats. Many of them haven’t bought a garage – where will they park?”

He therefore called on the Planning Authority to make it a requirement that whoever buys a flat must also buy a garage.

Such a measure would undoubtedly make garages, which have seen their asking price increase markedly over the last years, even more of a hot commodity.

However, while it may sole the question of on-street parking, the proposal would almost certainly face major push-back from those who have yet to get onto the property ladder, with the requirement increasing the price pressure at a time when property seems increasingly out of reach for those on lower incomes and those buying alone.