Adi Associates Environmental Consultants Ltd

Client: VISET Malta plc

Start / Finish Dates:  October 2008 – December 2008

The parking study was submitted in support of a planning application to build a 224 car spaces multi-storey car park at the site known as the ‘Atrium Site’ within the Valletta Waterfront. The vacant site serves as a surface car park. It is broadly equidistant from the Pinto Terminal which serves cruise liners and the Forni Terminal which provides the ferry service to Sicily. It is therefore well placed to serve the operational needs of both terminals, particularly when compared to the other peripheral car parks.

The study identified the parking needs of those staff and users of the Waterfront who are essential to its operations. It identified all operational users and their current travel patterns to the Waterfront in terms of the arrival / departure time of each user. Interviews were conducted with various users of the Valletta Waterfront in order to establish a profile of all users. These included:

• Cruise and ferry passengers;
• Cruise ship visitors;
• Port staff;
• Travel and other agents;
• Retail and Food & Beverage personnel; and
• Office employees.

Surveys at the surface car park, and other adjacent car parks were also undertaken to determine the demand and the purpose of the visit.

Predictions on how the operational parking at the Waterfront will change were made, based on the user profiles and cruise and ferry projections. Particular attention was given to the ambition to increase considerably the number of ‘Home Port’ passengers. The study concluded that there is sufficient demand to justify the proposed car park. Other measures to address parking problems were recommended, including better use of Park & Ride facilities and a Green Travel Plan for staff and visitors.

The planning permit was granted in October 2010.

Keywords: parking demand study, Valletta Cruise Port, interviews