Crackdown on illegal vendor stalls in Sliema

Enforcement authorities have begun formal action against unauthorised ticket booths on Sliema's waterfront. The Independent reported that the drive targets structures operating without proper licensing along The Strand and adjoining stretches of the promenade.

Police officers have been placing official notices on the booths, giving operators until Thursday 16 April to dismantle them voluntarily. Any structures still standing after that date face mandatory removal.

The rule behind the notices

The action rests on Subsidiary Legislation 441.12, which came into effect in September 2025. The regulation sets rules for public-space use and prohibits commercial structures without authorisation from the relevant authorities.

The Sliema Local Council has backed the enforcement, describing it as a measure to keep public areas orderly and accessible. The Strand is one of the town's busiest pedestrian stretches, used throughout the day by residents and visitors.

Deadline, not a lecture

For operators, the live fact is the calendar: 16 April is the last day for voluntary removal before forced clearance. Later local reporting tracked the same illegal-booth problem as still unresolved on parts of The Strand after enforcement deadlines, which is why the dated notice and the legal basis matter more than a generic warning about permits.