Transport watchdog hires temporary examiners

The Malta Transport Authority (ADT) is hiring temporary examiners to carry out driving tests after a number of its regular staff were suspended in the course of investigations into a bribery scandal.

The suspension resulted in a backlog and postponement of driving tests last week.

The scandal, being investigated by the police, is said to involve examiners and at least one driving school that was supposedly asking applicants to pay money to ensure they would pass the test and get their driving licence.

Contacted by The Times yesterday, ADT public relations manager Daniela Borg Mizzi said the authority was in the process of temporarily engaging examiners to meet the demand for driving tests.

This newspaper asked whether there had been any outcome of the internal investigation which the ADT had started before the police began looking into the allegations, and whether the authority was also investigating the motoring school implicated. If any other school was also found to be implicated, would the ADT withdraw its licence?

The ADT spokesman replied that the police were investigating the operations of the Licensing and Testing Directorate's driving examiners section. "To this end, the ADT feels it cannot divulge any information pending police investigations," she added.

The police's Community and Media Relations Unit declined to give details when asked whether there had been any breakthrough in the investigations, adding that "investigations are still ongoing".