No agreement yet over bus emission tests

The transport authority and the association of bus owners, currently at loggerheads over emission tests for buses, yesterday met at the authority's offices in Sa Maison so that the latter could view the certification of authority officials who carry out the tests.

The meeting also served as an occasion for the two bodies to discuss differences over the specifications of emission tests carried out by the authority.

But no agreement was reached and now the ball lies in the transport authority's court, Victor Spiteri, association president, said when contacted last night. No date has been fixed for another meeting, he added.

The Transport Ministry was not available for comment. Mr Spiteri said the authority was insisting that buses be pushed to 3,000 rev per minute during the test, when such vehicles should only be revved up to 2,000 revs.

He claimed that a bus that had failed the test carried out by the authority underwent a similar test at a private VRT station last Saturday and passed.

"I presented this certificate to the authority yesterday. The specifications the authority is demanding of heavy vehicles need to be changed to come in line with the vehicles being tested. This would also benefit other owners of heavy vehicles," he said.

The association yesterday also asked the authority to pass on to it a list of its team of testers, which request has been acceded to. The transport authority is insisting it has qualified officials to test the buses and had invited association officials to see this for themselves.

Last week, the association directed bus owners not to submit their buses for emission tests until it was assured that those carrying out the tests were suitably qualified.

The association insists it is not contesting the tests but it wants things to be carried out properly.

Another of its demands is that the bus drivers themselves, and not the ADT officials, drive the buses during the tests. It says that testers are not covered by insurance if something goes awry.

It is also insisting that the tests be carried out at the spot agreed with the transport authority - St James Ditch - rather than having the test carried out at the bus termini as was often happening now.

The association is claiming that proper equipment to carry out a revving test of heavy vehicles is not available in Malta.