Tuesday, 3rd November 2009 - 10:56CET

CVA costing €150,000 per month

The CVA (Valletta Controlled Vehicle Access system) has had a substantial positive impact on the business community in Valletta, as shown by the fact that the average number of cars entering the city every month has risen to 70,000 different vehicles, compared to 33,000 before the system was introduced.

"Thanks to the new system, we have managed to pull out of Valletta those vehicles which used to be parked there all day long. We thus created space for more cars to enter the capital," Transport Minister Austin Gatt said in reply to a parliamentary question.

"Similarly, the Park and Ride facility has been a government investment which has provided a solution for people who need to go to Valletta for a relatively long time."

Dr Gatt said the Transport Authority pays CVA Technology Ltd €150,000 per month for the operation of the CVA system. A total of €4.2 million have been paid so far, with another €763,942 pending.

The Park and Ride system has so far cost the government €2 million. The government has also lost €1.4 million in revenue it used to get from 'V' vehicle licences, which were discontinued when payments under the CVA scheme were introduced.

Earlier this month, Dr Gatt said in reply to another question in parliament that the government raked in €2.1 million from the from the CVA system between May 2007 and the end of August 2009.

The total included €492,608 in late payment fees.

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Article © Allied Newspapers Ltd., printed on Saturday, November 21, 2009. This article is for personal use only, and should not be distributed.

Comments

Mario Martinelli (2 weeks, 4 days ago)

@ any lawyer willing to give advise free!

I would like to know if penalties on late payments are LEGAL or not. Go charges €2.33 for late payments too. What about penalties from suppliers to the government for late payment from the governments side? Can it be applied???
CVA can you make an easier system for customers maybe by doing a stand/shop where payments can be effected immediately???

Mike Farrugia (2 weeks, 4 days ago)

Following my comment earlier on, the time check on the CVA website has now been updated!
The power of the Times.

Charles Sammut (2 weeks, 4 days ago)

Are there any plans to extend this system to other localities, such as Sliema? Nudge nudge, wink, wink.

Ludwig Flask (2 weeks, 4 days ago)

"CVA Technology Company Ltd" , I think the list of directors/owners can be accessed from MFSA...

M.Spiteri (2 weeks, 4 days ago)

So let me see if I got this right, are we are paying an extra €2 million just to add more pollution to Valletta? The shop owners in our Capital say their business has suffered since the introduction of the CVA. So I guess that either the retailers are not declaring the truth or minister Gatt's reasoning is flawed.

c. camilleri (2 weeks, 4 days ago)

Would it have been less costly if the Govt bought the equipment and operate the system itself?
As regards the Park and Ride system why not a token payment of say 25cents?

Paul Barrett (2 weeks, 4 days ago)

This all sounds the wrong way around to me. Should not the people running the CVA system be paying the Government - then the income could be used to off-set the Park and Ride scheme.
No way should this inconvenient CVA system be retained if it is running at a loss to the taxpayer.

wayne caruana (2 weeks, 4 days ago)

I for one has had it up to my nose paying ridiculous large amounts in penalties and errors, is this legal??? Can the Labour party make another call like he did with the vat on registration of new cars and we fight this greedy and arrogant administration in the European Courts, we will be in the hundreds again.

MBorg (2 weeks, 4 days ago)

I thought the original motive of the CVA system in Valletta was to reduce the number of vehicles entering Valletta. With the system more cars are entering Valletta so more pollution in the city.

P.Cassar (2 weeks, 4 days ago)

I never expected a top govt Minister and a lawyer at the same time to come to the conclusion that since more cars entered Valletta more business was done. Statistics are NOT that simple. In fact if you ask the business community they will tell you otherwise. But sombody is truly raking in substancial income through the scheme.

Rose Agius (2 weeks, 4 days ago)

Can the HON DR GATT explain to me why on a parking fee of 85c for parking in Valletta my daughter was face with a penalty of 5 EURO for paying late. She found it ridiculous sending a cheque for 85c , was waiting until she went to Valletta again and had to pay a higher fee. Veru Kollox sew ma dan il-gvern basta jigbor kemm jiflah minn fuq darna. We work very hard for our money unlike some lucky people who pretend they are working for the community, as if they are doing us a big great favour!!!

Dennis Debono (2 weeks, 4 days ago)

A total of €4.2 million have been paid so far, with another €763,942 pending -- the government raked in €2.1 million from the from the CVA system

This system is a FAILURE the government/taxpayer is paying more (€2.1M)

C. L. Spiteri (2 weeks, 4 days ago)

To Mr. P. Borg: "We (through our taxes) are paying too much for this system. Has the Government considered making the capital expenditure itself?" May I ask you where the "Government" get their money?

Mike Farrugia (2 weeks, 4 days ago)

Has anyone ever noticed that the time check on the CVA website is off by 5 mins?
See: https://secure.cva.gov.mt/cvatime.php
....and they claim that it is accurate up to 1 billionth of a second!!!! e io pagho!

Stephen Borg Cardona (2 weeks, 4 days ago)

One wonders who owns CVA Technology. Perhaps The Times could investigate ?

Joe Cordina (2 weeks, 4 days ago)

CVA has removed vehicles that used to be parked for a long time whilst it increased vehicular traffic, thus also increased pollution. Some good things such as this system tend to have negative side effects

P Borg (2 weeks, 4 days ago)

We (through our taxes) are paying too much for this system. Has the Government considered making the capital expenditure itself? I doubt whether this expenditure would exceed what has already been paid so far (EUR4.2M).

We need more figures and explanations. And heads must start rolling...

Charles Micallef (2 weeks, 4 days ago)

@David Agius

Spot on........

CVA operators make it sound as if they are doing the Country a favour!

What a genuine and caring friend of Family Malta!

J. Borg (2 weeks, 4 days ago)

Smart Island for the "smart" contractor, and the accomodating government!

and by the way.......the late payment "fees" are illegal.

Michael Borg (2 weeks, 4 days ago)

wow poriftable buisness i guess !!! 10 cameras with software record cars going in and out deduct out -in time send bill !! at 150 000 a month .. i wonder who owns the company !!!

David A. Agius (Not the M.P.) (2 weeks, 4 days ago)

"Transport Authority pays CVA Technology Ltd €150,000 per month"

Nice sum. And then we say it's difficult to cater for smaller needs, such as employing a few more wardens in the countryside for illegal dumping, cleaning out Valletta better, and so on and so forth...

CVA costing €150,000 per month

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