AD wants liberalisation of public transport

Alternattiva Demokratika said yesterday it was disappointed that the governemnt had taken a stand against the liberalisation of public transort during an EU meeting last week.

AD chairman Harry Vassallo said the government was effectively granting the Public Transport Association a monopoly over bus services.

"Under these conditions the sector will not recover from its comatose condition," he said. He pointed out that figures by Eurostat showed a decline of 20 per cent in the use of the bus service in eight years.

"The Maltese and Gozitan public deserves better. The government is obliged to ensure that public transport becomes an attractive and efficient commuting option.

"Only in this way can we hope to curb air pollution, the problems associated with a dearth of parking spaces and above all traffic congestion together with its resulting stress and morning delays at the workplace which the public has to face on a daily basis," continued Dr Vassallo in a statement.

AD's transport spokesman Mark Scerri added that his party supports the regulation proposed by the European Commission which calls for EU-wide liberalisation of the sector.

"To add insult to injury, Transport Minister (Jesmond) Mugliett used the fact that the government subsidised the purchase of the new buses as an excuse to justify his stand. The government should never have awarded so many millions, so generously, to a private contractor, especially when performance was not guaranteed.

"The PTA's performance has so far been below standard and judging from past experience we have no reason to believe that it will improve," Mr Scerri said.