Bus owners stop illegal action

The Bus Owners' Association finally saw the light by suspending its directives to bus drivers to stop the use of the pass for the elderly and pensioners.

Talks between the Public Transport Authority, the bus owners association and the transport ministry are now due to start on Tuesday.

Both sides have also agreed that the introduction of the bus ticketing machines, which had to come into force tomorrow, have now been postponed by a week.

On Wednesday the association had stopped the use of the elderly pass, which entitled elderly people to pay a flat rate of 10 cents for any route. The normal rates vary according to the zone between 15 cents and 20 cents.

The government had reacted by terming the action as illegal and a substantial number of bus owners had been fined for breaking the law as they overcharged pensioners. The directive had also been criticised by several bodies, including the national association of pensioners.

The bus owners' association yesterday suspended their directive following talks with the government through a mediator.

Sources said that the mediation had been carried out by UHM general secretary Gejtu Vella.

Transport Minister Censu Galea said the introduction of the bus ticketing machines has been postponed by a week: "This will give us more time to inform the public better on how the system will work."

Mr Galea added that the talks which were about to start on Tuesday with the bus owners' association will also tackle the reform of the public transport service.

"I expect that it will be an open discussion which will go into the service in general.

"The government remains committed to reform the public transport service in order to make it adequate for this day and age."

The chairman of the bus owners' association, Victor Spiteri, said that following negotiations an agreement had been reached to suspend the industrial actions with immediate effect.

"Talks between the Public Transport Authority, the Transport Ministry and the bus owners' association are due to commence on Tuesday.

"On the introduction of the bus ticketing machines, agreement had been reached for talks between the parties concerned to commence with immediate effect for the machines to be introduced on July 21."

As determined as ever, the chairman of the Public Transport Authority, Charles Demicoli, said the authority will remain strong in its position that time has come to improve the public transport service: "In the national interest we will be keeping a strong position to ensure that the necessary reform will be carried out."