Bus owners' president hopeful of solution

The president of the Public Transport Association, Victor Spiteri, said yesterday he was hopeful that meetings on the route bus dispute with the Roads Ministry and the Malta Transport Authority (ADT), scheduled for next week, would be fruitful.

The association has reduced its subsidy request - one of the bones of contention - to Lm1.3 million and the government has promised to extend the 90-day deadline for coming to a deal on a reform in the public transport system.

"We are closer to a solution as there seems to be good will on both sides. We have put down our request and the minister seems to have accepted it. The ball is in his court now," Mr Spiteri said.

Government sources confirmed that a meetings could take place at the beginning of next week and that both parties were close to a solution.

The dispute came to a head earlier this month after attempts to negotiate a subsidy for this year failed because the government's offer of Lm1.1 million fell Lm600,000 short of the initial demand made by the PTA, which followed with industrial action.

The industrial action, which is still in force, includes the suspension of the direct service from towns and villages to St Luke's Hospital while buses stop running at 8 p.m. on several routes.

An emergency hospital service has been laid on by the government.