Tuesday, 20th May 2008 - 18:13CET

Dispute over bus emission tests ends

The Public Transport Association this evening declared an end to its dispute with the government and the Transport Authority (ADT) over emission tests on buses. It also instructed bus owners to resume emission testing of their buses, withdrawing a directive against such testing.

The decisions were taken following a meeting between Transport Minister Austin Gatt and PTA president Victor Spiteri.

The two sides in a joint statement said that since the association is contesting the criteria of the tests, the Malta Standards Authority will be asked to decide on the criteria.

Until the review is completed, the tests will continue to be held under the procedures followed to date.

The association said it was satisfied with the technical certification of those carrying out the tests. The Transport Authority confirmed it will keep the association updated on all those carrying out such tests.

The government confirmed that should any damage be caused to the buses during the tests as a result of negligence, it will shoulder the costs.

The tests will be carried out only at St James Ditch near the bus terminus at times which do not interrupt the bus schedule.

Comments

Wilfrid Buttigieg (on 20/5/08)

This is a very smart way of silencing public pressure.... Surely most educated and environmentally conscious maltese citizens are eagerly expecting radical changes to public transport vehicles! The recent days of pressure have given clear signals so as to what is the will 'of the people'. The present mediocre 'status quo' is simply unacceptable for an EU member state in 2008. For every day that passes with these old out of standard buses on our roads, the decision makers and practitioners have an increased environmental damages responsibility to carry! Dear minister we need faster action and facts - not diplomatic excuses!

Tony Pace (on 20/5/08)

wE will say 'prosit Minister' when cowboys ARE booked and their killer buses taken OFF the road. SORRY IT WILL NOT HAPPEN........PAROLE, PAROLE, PAROLE.

Paul Barrett (on 20/5/08)

I see - plenty of warning, prep for the test, be tested and then revert back to normal black smoke.
How about spot checks - on the spot fines - are they exempt?

A Daley (on 20/5/08)

So while in Malta the Govt. (or rather the general public) would shoulder any damage incurred during these tests, in other EU countries one would sign a disclaimer that during a diesel engine test, the tester or Garage performing the MOT is not responsible for any damage to the engine.
The reason is simple. The engine should have been well serviced during all its working life and therefore there should not be any harm done during the test. These tests include checks to make sure that the engine settings were not tempered with and that the diesel pump seals are intact.
As usual though, in Malta we do things differently.
Is this how we are going to move forward? What a farce!

Adrian E. Camilleri (on 20/5/08)

Well done Minister Gatt. Wish we Maltese were all as serious and business-like! Keep it up.

Derek Webb (on 20/5/08)

Whilst on a recent trip to Malta, [a country of which I love] I had the misfortune to walk around where the buses park in Valletta with a Maltese freind of mine. I was disgusted to see a bus driver urinating behind his bus. In fact the whole area stank of urine. This leads me to the assumption that this is a regular practice. I should imagine that lots of tourists walk in this area and such an incidence is a poor advert for Malta, let alone the health issue There can be no excuse for this as the toilets are but 100yards away. I am only glad my wife and children were not with me on this occasion. A couple of arrests for this and no doubt it will stop.

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Dispute over bus emission tests ends

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