Transport Minister Austin Gatt said he could not understand why the bus, taxi and mini-van drivers decided to strike yesterday when the government's liberalisation decision affected only the hearses whose owners had asked for a decision on their future.
Speaking at a press conference in the afternoon, Dr Gatt said he had presented the case about the liberalisation of licences for hearses at a Cabinet meeting after talks with the association representing the owners of hearses had failed.
The liberalisation of mini-buses and taxis was not in the government's plans, he said. With regard to the route buses, he said he had already held talks with the president of the Public Transport Association (ATP), Victor Spiteri, in view of EU requirements.
Dr Gatt explained that the EU had presented three alternatives: A service run by the state, the issue of a public tender or a service run by a number of SMEs. The ATP and the government had decided to go for the third option and 11 companies were planned to be set up. However, the EU rejected this, saying that the way in which the proposal was formulated was meant to circumvent the directive governing public transport.
The last verbal agreement with Mr Spiteri was for the government to make its proposals by the end of summer on how the system can improve and on the use of more energy-saving buses.
The government was in favour of liberalisation because this brought about competition that was beneficial to consumers. Since 1999 the government had forked out a total of €41 million in subsidies for the bus service.
Speaking about the industrial action, Dr Gatt said that while it was everyone's right to strike, no one had a right to disrupt other people's lives. Incidents such as attacks on white mini-vans, coaches, the police, the blocking of roads and the scuffles on the steps of Castille were "unacceptable".
The government had removed fixed fares from the regulations governing the sector, allowing charges to be determined by market forces.
In view of the strike action, the government will today provide a free emergency bus service, with routes from 13 destinations to Valletta.
Additionally, the Malta Transport Authority will also be offering a ferry service between Valletta and Sliema and between the Grand Harbour and Vittoriosa as follows:
• MV Cominotto: Marsamxett (Valletta) to Sliema Ferry (existing landing places).
• MV Sea Below: Grand Harbour (Customs House landing quay) to Vittoriosa (landing place near Cospicua Regatta club).
The ferry service will run between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. every half hour until further notice.
The public transport emergency routes will operate to the following destinations:
Route A: Cottonera
Route B: Żabbar/Marsascala
Route C: Birżebbuġa, Żejtun, Gudja, Għaxaq
Route D: Żurrieq, Safi, Kirkop, Qrendi, Mqabba
Route E: Żebbuġ, Siġġiewi, Qormi
Route F: Attard, Rabat, Mtarfa, Dingli
Route G: Birkirkara, Balzan, Lija
Route H: Mosta, Naxxar, Għargħur
Route I: St Paul's Bay, Ċirkewwa
Route J: Gżira, Sliema, St Julians
Route K: Mater Dei Hospital
Route L: Buġibba, Qawra
Contacted for his reaction to Dr Gatt's comments, Mr Spiteri said that although buses had not been mentioned directly, the minister had commented on the monopolies of other means of transport.
The hearses formed part of the same federation as the buses, taxis and red mini-vans, so this was another reason why they participated in the industrial action.
Asked when the federation was formed, Mr Spiteri said this happened 15 months ago, adding that the federation was only officially registered last week.
He said that other means of transport would join the strike today but he did not want to divulge more details "just in case they changed their mind". Last night, the Unscheduled Bus Service said that, although it did not form part of the Transport Federation, it felt that it should strike in view of damages their coaches sustained and also the attacks on the drivers.
When asked, Mr Spiteri said he condemned all violence that took place yesterday just as much as he condemned the way the federation's members were intimidated by transport operators who did not participate in the strike action.