Transport reform seeks to increase patronage

The government yesterday launched a vision document on public transport reform which has to be in place by 2015 but has to start in 2010.

The main aim of the reform is an increase in patronage.

"Patronage is consistently going down. I will be happy only when this increases," Transport Minister Austin Gatt said.

The document analyses the reasons for failure, proposes principles for reform and discusses solutions.

Dr Gatt said the main reason for the failure of the public transport system was political indecision by several governments that failed to grab the bull by the horns and instead came up with several minor reforms.

There were also managerial shortcomings both from the bus owners and from the Malta Transport Authority (ADT), which did not fully utilise the power it had by law.

Moreover, there had been a cultural resistance to change.

The country, the minister said, had to opt for systems that made sense. There were no easy solutions but if the country really wanted change, there had to be a change in mentality.

Buses had to be integrated with other forms of transport for the country to have one cohesive system serving the people. For this to happen, he said, the country needed the will to change what it had been doing for 50 years.

Dr Gatt pointed out that EU rules did not permit the government to reach an agreement with the Public Transport Association for the provision of transport.

The available options were nationalisation, the issue of a public tender or the award of the service to SMEs by direct order. The last option was aimed for small regional systems and the government intended to apply it to Gozo. It had also tried to apply it to Malta but it had clear indications that the EU would not accept it.

So the options were for the government to buy the licences from the owners and nationalise the service or to issue a public tender for which anyone could bid.

The association, he said, had to understand that it had to change its format in order to be able to compete in line with EU rules.

The minister said when asked that while subsidies were permitted by EU rules, these were not aimed at giving owners a guaranteed income whatever the level of usage.

The ADT would be drawing up a new public transport network which it would then discuss with the Public Transport Association. It was also preparing studies on the type of buses the country would need and on the recurrent expenditure expected for a modern and efficient system.

The government's aim was to eventually have a whole energy-friendly fleet. Besides the Valletta terminus, the intention was to have four other termini at Buġibba, Sliema, Paola and the airport.

The buses reform had to start by 2010. Dr Gatt said he was aiming for the complete reform to be in place by 2015. This would possibly include the introduction of tram lines, and a group from the UK should be in Malta to study this possibility next week. The tram routes planned are Valletta to Sliema and Valletta to Birkirkara and Rabat.

Other transport systems that should form part of public transport include taxis, electric cars and ferries.

The document can be viewed online at www.mitc.gov.mt. Comments can be sent to info.mitc@gov.mt.