Monday, 14th July 2008 - 19:18CET
UPDATED: Stoppage by coaches from tomorrow
A coach belonging to Paramount Garage which was attacked by public transport drivers this afternoon in Floriana. The coach had its windscreen broken.
(Adds statement by Tourism Secretariat, MHRA warning)
The Unscheduled Bus Service will not be operating as from tomorrow, the UBS said this evening.
The UBS said it did not form part of the Transport Federation, which ordered the strike by the operators of public transport.
However the members of the UBS could not continue to operate in circumstances such as those encountered today, with roads blocked and a number of members attacked and vehicles damaged.
The UBS said it condemned the violent incidents.
It also insisted it was against changes in the licensing of public transport vehicles without prior consultation.
Meanwhile the Secretariat for Tourism this evening condemned the incidents which took place today, notably the blockage of roads to Valletta and the airport and attacks on tourist coaches. Such incidents, the secretariat said, were very detrimental to tourism, and the tourism season was approaching its peak. Such incidents only served to endanger the livelihood of thousands of workers in the tourism sector, the secretariat said.
The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) also condemned the actions taken by public transport service providers and said that this type of action causes untold damage to the image of Malta as a tourism destination and to Product Malta as a whole.
The MHRA said its members worked tirelessly to ensure that visitors arriving at MIA were able to get to their hotels without any problems despite the efforts of a small number of taxi drivers. The MHRA together with officials from MIA and the MTA ensured that any inconvenience was kept to a minimum.
The MHRA pointed out that taxis located outside key hotels amount to over 10% of the licensed taxis locally.
"The MHRA would not hesitate to issue directives to these said hotels to terminate agreements with these taxis if they persist in not providing the necessary service to their guests. Ultimately their service can easily be replaced by call outs to chauffeur driven cars," the association warned.
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Comments
where are the police and soldiers. they should arrest them all
Mr President the time for half measures are over. This is Industrail Terrorism...the assault on the Prime Minister's office....is an assault on Democracy, on the State...
The country is looking upon you, we need to see you on our media..and talk to us and reassure us that freedom & protection are our rights as citizens. There exsist one fundamental target: THE RESPECT FOR THE LAW....
So in your opinion Joseph Muscat should say ‘No’ just because that would hurt PN and Dr.Gonzi!?? Can’t you understand that this is not a fight between PN and MLP but rather a fight between GOOD AND BAD SERVICE!!? If the Bus Drivers & Co are put in place then it is not just the PN supporters who will gain an advantage but all the Maltese people! These people are protesting because they do not want to change!! They want to give the bad service they have given so far!! They want to keep polluting the whole of Malta with their more than 20 year old busses!! Knowing all this how can you said that Joseph Muscat is wrong in supporting the MALTESE (Everyone’s) government!? How?
1) Austin should go back on what they have promised before the elections.
2) Draw up a plan with consent from all interested parties on how liberalisation can be made with the least negative impact on the sector and on the country.
3) Now AFM should prevail in keeping order.
4) The Government should cater for and give priority to all the tourists that have arrived and are arriving in these days, so that the damage incurred by these actions should be minimised as much as possible. Remeber Mr. Government that Tourism is a perm of the Maltese economy.
5) How come that the police are not armed and trained against riots? What a bunch of boy scouts!!!
ONLY IN MALTA!!!!....the Zimbabwe of the Mediterrenean...lol!!!
Europeans in other countries do protest true. it is nothing new. take italy, transport services are on strike every other month but the difference is that there is no violence, no blockage, no mobs, just people walking their way to work and at least they can drive too. it is everyone's right to strike but let other people get on with their life, jobs.... ! who would assure me that by using the emergency bus service my life is not put at risk by the strikers? (all you have to do is look at the photo in this article to doubt safety of using alternative transport)
They blocked important aertierial roads illegally, they terrorised other drivers, they misbehaved with tourists.
They need to be prosecuted, and their licence revoked. Police can arrest anyone who is not observing the laws, so why are THESE bullies not arrested???
Confiscate their vechiles, bring out the army, and make them take control of the buses, taxis, etc.
If they refuse to clear roads, bring the army's bulldozers, and let them do their work. At least that's what other Authorities (MEPA, etc) do with illegalities!!
Or are these people over the law???
They are only endangering their livelihood and that of other thousands of citizens!!
There was a case when dozens of soldiers covered policemen when an illegal structure was being demolished in Zebbug By-pass?? Are the authorities strong with the few and lenient with the many?? Or do we have more than one measure???
Are we living in an EU country or in an Animal Farm land where, ...... :ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS." (George Orwell).???
We need ACTION DR GATT, and before its too late!!
- elderly people walking under the torrid heat of the sun, without giving up.
- car drivers stopping by and offering these same elderly a ride to a better location.
- members of the Police force enduring long hours on their feet in miserable weather conditions.
- arrogant bus drivers instilling fear on passers by
my opinion... thumbs up to minister Austin Gatt... !!! Thumbs up to the Law Enforcement officers, as they are avoiding confrontation, but i do hope that those who broke the law and caused havoc on Monday, will be brought to justice.
Last but not least, i do apologise to all those foreigners who spent their savings to come over to Malta, and being offered such a negative welcome at the airtport, by these so called strikers.
JOSEPH control your people. They are acting like non humans.Where is the respect to JOSEPH.
When you start physically hurting people. Then you no longer deserve any respect.
Police Comm RIZZO, I witnessed at least 25 crimes against the police You must make arrests swiftly or resign let someone that has courage take over>
KEEP IT UP AUSTIN these are a bunch of thugs don't give in.
JM is a healthy politician. Dr. Sant, with all due respect, did nothing but divide the Maltese Islands. We come to conclusions through reasoning. You cannot compare the protests held in mainland EU with those held in Malta.
If you are so knowledgable, you should realise that our Malta has no resources. We have to rely on transport due to tourism and all that is effected by its services.
If you dont get this, i strongly suggest that you go the the village piazza, buy some bigilla and some cicri and just stare at the little birdie in the gabietta.
Stop this trash mentality and start educating yurself and those around you. We need a healthy Malta.
" Malta? Never again" but I am certain that there are thousands more who feel that same way. After years of pain that the tourism industry has been through, now that the industry is inching its way back again, is this the reward ? . What has happened to that Phoenician sense of equilibrium that we are supposed to be endowed with? Have we turned into such a nation of iconoclasts that we are ready to throw the food on our table to the dogs knowing that we will starve as a result?
And do the machos on both sides think we are admiring them?
At least dont ruin the holidays of the tourists. They have probablu worked their butt off to earn enough money to come to Malta for a holiday with their families. They have no fault in any of this. I appeal to the federation, do not ruin these peoples' holidays. These tourists could have easily went elsewhere, they chose Malta. Let us at least repay them with respect and honour..and most of all good value for money and friendliness. Strike as much as needed...affect the Maltese as needed, but dont let tourists curse the moment they chose to come to Malta.
I am sorry to inform you that you are the person who is trying to divert the national public's attention. Everyone knows that the increase in fuel prices is not a Government tax, (as Dr. Sant kindly did in 1997) but due to international oil prices.
And when a protest arises abroad, as happened in London a few years ago when underground workers went on strike, they are civilised enough not to smash their competitors' (if one can call them so) windshields or show any form of indicent conduct!
One thing to note is that a protest is really successful if you have the people's support. If not, it's useless! I think that the Maltese people have realised why it is important NOT to have a monopoly! This 'protest strike' was an absolute backfire.
Most of us do not forget, have not forgotten and will never forget the meaning of violent protests!!. This is not a political issue but an issue of consumer rights against a monopoly which does nothing but bleed the country from our taxes. The Government has given subsidies over subsidies and yet we see no improvement in the service.
Then again, this is not a bus or mini bus drivers' issue (well not yet at least) but alas they still felt that they had to roll up their sleeves, take off their shirts and drive off to Castille (or was it the Bastille) in protest.
You beckon Dr. Joseph Muscat to your assistance like he could pull out a bunny out of his magical hat yet till now it was only the PN who had the guts to start getting the country into shape.
Alas I must once again remind you that this has got nothing to do with politics so please do stop being silly. Dr. Muscat has (as yet) not tried to take any political advantage of the issue and this is commendable on his part but regretfully you fail to do likewise.
The only way to remove the monopoly is to have ANOTHER COMPANY or group to bid for the bus service tender - another group of at least 300 buses. Because the bus service is a complete package. Do you imagine someone buying 300 buses to compete for a 5-year tender with the risk of losing it ?
After all, all the things the complaints are about, such as black fumes, lack of service, prices, standards, safety, qualty ARE ALL REGULATED BY CURRENT LAWS. The problem is that the authorities NEVER ENFORCED THEM. You can have 100 operators .. if you don`t enforce regualtions you will end up in the same situation.
I was astonished to hear Dr.Gatt complaining that the transport owners did a shameful act by blocking the main roads : fine .. BUT SHOULDN`T HE ASK TONIO BORG WHY THE AUTHORITIES DIDN`T GUARANTEE PUBLIC ORDER ? Or maybe its easier to pepper-spray an illegal immigrant than defend the maltese?
Its time to stop subsidizing these peoplewho are being subsidized to the tune of 60,000 Euros each day from our taxes and yet have the gall to cause such disturbances and disruptions, including not allowing an ambulance to pass.
Liberalize all the sectors.
After all, they voted for the EU and they knew that it won't tolerate monopolies.
If they didn't, Dr Austin Gatt has spelt it clear and plain during today's press conference.
1. You forgot the strikes (frequently held) in Spain, Italy, France etc etc. Are we Europeans or not ?
2. It's NOT a sin to PROTEST. But the PN made you think that way. (since the 70's, cause they don't want that the people or workers have power).
3. I'm not in favour of the monopolies, nor of how Agostoni Pio deal with sensitive issues without any discussions. But how I almost forgot, that once he said that the Parliament means nothing to him with a 5-seat majority.
4. This is what GONZI, AGOSTINO PIO & co. wanted, to DIVERT the attention of ALL people (especially their voters) from the surcharge saga.
5. This goverment will continue to do whatever he wants, even with ONLY 800 votes or so in his favour. Please Joseph, just don't be the opposite of Sant now.........he said no for almost everything and you're saying yes to almost everything........till now. Hopefully and I'm saying this sincerely, I'm wrong. I just don't want you in the same bed with Gonzi. Let him take his own medicine
Praise to MHRA.
Like the government, it is telling taxi drivers precisely what they need to hear.
This is not a time to be weak, but a time to be resolute in the face of a 'federation of monopolists' that is not only wrong on this issue, but also violent.
The biggest 'victory' today for the federation has been that it has frightened the UBS and there will be no coaches tomorrow.
The Police tomorrow should see to it that there is no illegality on our roads.