School vans found not covered by insurance - transport authority

The Public Transport Authority's enforcement staff yesterday seized two mini vans which bore illegal registration plates.

The authority said the vans were stopped for routine inspection in the vicinity of the Convent of the Sacred Heart in St Julian's.

The school head was informed and the children waiting for transport were kept in the school until alternative arrangements were made.

Investigations carried out by the Enforcement Unit revealed that the chassis numbers of both vans did not match those printed on the logbooks.

Further investigations, the authority added, revealed that both vans were not covered by an insurance policy.

The registration tax of one of the vans, which had been imported into Malta in 1996, had not been paid for.

The other van had officially been "scrapped" in 2001.

The vans were then taken to the authority's technical unit for further investigation.

The enforcement officers coordinated with the headmistress of the Convent of the Sacred Heart due to the fact that alternative transport arrangements had to be made for the school children who were waiting to be taken home.

The ADT enforcement officers notified the police who will be taking legal action against the drivers and the owners of the mini vans.