A transit authority for buses

Harry Vassallo said that the bus service "should be awarded by tender to provide affordable and efficient services on underserved, low volume routes".

Why would a private company want to provide services to areas which are low volume and by inference unprofitable? It doesn't make business sense unless the government was to heavily subsidise the service.

This is not the solution to the problem that public transport in Malta faces. Public transport should be the responsibility of a transit authority.

The transit authority should be semi-autonomous and should be responsible for all public transport services in Malta.

Funding for the transit authority should come from a combination of government subsidies and the revenue from bus fares.

The transit authority's budget should cover all administrative and operating costs as well as capital costs required to build the infrastructure in support of bus services and this should include the bus terminus outside of Valletta, bus shelters, etc.

The transit authority should own the bus fleet and should be responsible for hiring and training the drivers and other personnel, and for establishing bus fares, bus routes and service times.

There should be no private ownership of buses or bus services except when it is a private service as that offered by mini busses, taxis, etc.

In order for people to switch from driving their cars to public transport and in the process reduce greenhouses gases, then the public transit system must be overhauled so that it is a modern, efficient, and comfortable mode of transportation and so that it is able to respond to the changing needs of the Maltese public and the tourists that visit Malta.