Confusing public transport issues

We refer to the letter "Public transport" (November 12) by Victor Spiteri, president of the Public Transport Association. The letter requires a number of clarifications. To begin with, the Public Transport Authority has been absorbed by the Malta Transport Authority and is now one of its directorates.

The president's claims that the authority is not honouring the agreement reached in 1995 are unfounded. It seems that the president is confusing two issues that have no relevance.

The government had initially invited bus owners to register their intentions to change their bus. Only 147 owners registered their interest. Furthermore, the subsidy offered to owners was increased over the years to Lm32,000. The public should note that up till now, of the 147 registered owners, only seven have so far been changed.

If the president has the interest of commuters at heart, he should ensure that the 147 buses are changed and simultaneously the bus ticketing machines installed without further delay.

Mr Spiteri knows that the government and the authority have always been open to discuss further the changing of the other buses, but we need to see progress from the owners first. Creating such conflicts will surely not help anybody, not even the bus owners themselves.

The public should be informed that bus owners have received various amounts of funds to subsidise their operations. Nearly Lm1 million in bus fare subsidy, Lm80,000 insurance subsidy, reduced road tax, all this in the last 12 months. Not to mention, Lm32,000 subsidy for every new bus. In the meantime, bus patronage continues to decrease and instead of seeing how to improve the service, the president chooses to embark on conflicts that in reality do not exist.

The public demands a better service. The government and the authority have done more than all that can be reasonably expected. It is up to the association - as the operator - to provide an adequate service.

We urge the president - for the benefit of all - to stop dragging his feet and work towards improving the service for commuters - who, after all, are their clients. We feel the need to remind the president that they do not own the routes. The association is the operator but not the regulator.

If the president is baffled by AD criticism, the only conclusion I can draw is that he is living in a world of his own. It seems that everyone but the ATP president himself notices that the service the ATP offers leaves much to be desired.

We reiterate the authority's willingness to ensure a safe and efficient transport system and once again invite the bus owners to install the ticketing machines and the president of the association to desist from making excessive demands and work towards improving the service that our commuters deserve.