Wednesday, 19th November 2008 - 10:33CET
Updated: ATP wants public transport reform
(Adds ministry's comments)
A national conference on public transport ,being held on December 5, will see the publication of the government’s thoughts and ideas on the public transport reform, the Transport Ministry said.
It was reacting to a statement by the Public Transport Association (ATP) which earlier today called for talks on public transport reform in line with a pre-election promise.
It said in a statement today that before the election the government said that it was willing to reach a 10-year agreement with the association and if this was terminated and could not be renewed, bus owners would be suitably compensated.
This contract had to be reached before 2010 according to an EU directive.
The association said it had long been calling for public transport reform because it believed this could result in a fair income for the service being offered as well as an improvement in drivers' conditions of work, which were among the worst in the EU.
It was not the association’s fault that road congestion had increased but the failure of government transport policies in the past 20 years which did not seen investment in the sector and seen the number of cars mushroom.
The ministry welcomed the association’s call for reform but said that a letter sent to the association before the election was not for the provision of a service without competition. In this letter, the government had expressed its intention to go in for an agreement as long as this was within the parameters of EU legislation.
As the time, the government had been discussing with the EU the division of the service into a number of contracts so that direct tenders could be awarded according to EU law. But since the association wanted to remain in charge of the income and expenditure of all public transport in Malta, the European Commission did not accept the proposal.
The government’s remaining options were to nationalise the service, something it did not wish to do, or to issue a competitive selection process.
The ministry said that if the owners who were currently operating the service had to stop doing so once the competitive process came to an end, discussions would be held and they would be given suitable compensation.
The ministry’s statement was accompanied by a copy of the letter sent by former minister Jesmond Mugliett to the association.
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Comments
Reform needs to start from our road network.
Secondary roads which are of great releif to the main ones need to be widened and maintained . This of course not deviating from the much needed repair of the arteries.
A true and proper traffic police section to prevent and when needed punish offences.
An educational programme with the topic of road sense and ethics must be put on the air immediatley on all stations. I am sure most of them will include it in their schedule F.O.C.
Bus lanes must be increased and controlled. This should prompt more users.
ATP must first start thinking of the commuter(their source of income) before the bus drivers' conditions(which must also be cosidered).
Last but not least are the busses and the enforcement of routes and timings.
Since the old geysers are so popular with the tourists we can keep some on specific routes; less frequent and higher tariffs.
For the drivers' behaviour I do not know what more can be done. I do not believe that courses will do the trick. We must look ahead at the future generation/s .
joe the plumber
It seems you have missed the bus. Rein in your cowboys, get them off their broncs and teach them some horse sense.
Every incident I've witnessed between passenger and bus driver, over some 25 years of using your disservice, without fail the driver's churlish behaviour was to blame.
And as if that weren't enough, the revolting sight of his gloating over the incident the rest of the way.
To say nothing of pulling out of bus bays or changing lanes without so much as a hint of sticking out a finger, even though one hand would be dangling over the window's edge.
But since the euro a new form of arrogance has crept in: give them a euro coin for a 47 cent fare and you' ll get a 50 cent coin in return.
Give them a 50 cent coin for the 47 cent fare and ...Need I go on?
Clean up your ACT, APT. Before they ring the curtain down on you.
Lets replace the sometimes horrible drivers and smoky buses, with well trained drivers, working within EU working time directive legislation and in brand new buses (even replacing the BMC and Kinglong) with new Euro 5 buses like Dennis Enviro 500! or gas buses like MAN produce. Also look at a light rail between north and south Malta on the old train line and more park and ride (say for Rabat and Bugibba and Golden Bay)
Messrs Pace, Grech, Camilleri, Mifsud, well said!!
Daniel
To say the least these people are bullies with every one and think that they can take the law in their hands. The problem is that even the police do not have the guts to stop these people an example is a bus owner in St Venera that has about 3 or 4 buses all the time parked in the road, taking parking spaces for other cars. The problem is that the Police know about this issue and no one has the decency or the courage to take action against this bully.
I hope that sooner rather than later some action is taken and not leave this matter go by. It looks like that there is a consensus between all the Maltese people about this issue so hopefully something will be done.
I did not refer to ALL busdrivers but the Rude ones, I agree but it is worldwide known that we have a stigma to get rid of.
Criminal records: Do you remember the bus drivers strike video attack on Castille, the smashing of private coaches, the beating of a driver? How many were charged? 3 (three). Did they pay their dues? They were let free and todate they are still in charge of buses with children on board. Those are the elements that are wrong in the system which need to be adressed to ensure professionalism and bring in trust. No more futile talk, very drastic reform needed. I also agree a change for Hydrogen buses similarly that are used in Germany. I hope more than I doubt that ATP will study this proposal.
I welcome the fact that ATP want a reform. It is already a start that at least both sides share the same concepts...now they need to sit down and talk.
For example bus drivers can insist on being provided with basic sanitary and resting facilities, decent working hours etc in exchange of undertaking basic english courses, courses about basic courtesy etc...
I don't agree that people with a criminal record should be stripped from their right to be a bus driver. They have paid their dues to society and they should have an opportunity to earn a decent living.
With regards to new buses I would suggest that the government should help the Bus owners in buying alternative energy buses like those found throughout Europe - like for example Hydrogen buses which are pollution free
- ATP to attach stickers on every seat on every public transport that say "Is the driver courteous? Has he driven correctly? Call ATP anonymous freephone on 800etc" (this system is successful in the UK)
- ATP to vet each bus drivers criminal record and withdraw immediately his tag and licence as I would not want my life in his hands let alone my children's.
- ATP to withdraw licences immediately without appeal on repeated reports on same offending driver.
- ATP to suspend licence of bus that is left parked outside in the streets against the law in the night
- ATP to completely liberalise the white taxi permits. Also have several 'inspector tourists' contracted by ATP to inspect bus and taxi drivers
- ATP to liberalise the school children transport to avoid the abuse by the red mini vans cartel
- ATP to install continious CCTV in all buses and white taxis that also record with sound the driver
- ATP to install GPS data logging with 'live' alarms to data center in all buses, white taxi and school transport so any speed limits, careless driving, route deviations are immediately recorded for action.
- Rude Bus drivers. Shabby, shirt out, driving with mobile, shortchanging elderly and tourists, not stopping at busstops, stopping at busstops in the middle of the road, shortfused at any challenge, very reckless driving, smoking and throwing rubbish out of the window, refusal to switch on aircondition in unbearable summer humid heat.
- Rude White Taxi Drivers. Same as above but also high speed races with or without passengers endangering everyone on the road. Aggressive behaviour and high element of road rage. Coersion and cartel pricing of tourists at MIA, Seaport etc.
- The Smoking Polluting Bus
I will put forward proposals if The Times allow me ...
Take as an example the park and ride free service as I believe the service is quite good and the drivers give a very good customer service.
Your service leaves much to be desired.
You need to wake up from your daydream and make sure that the service is improved.
Some of the drivers can barely say five words in English. They lack courtesy and manners.
The service is being used because there is no alternative one thus you haver a monopoly to do as you please.
With you attitude you have to work extra to convince the commuters.
I am all for a NEW TRANSPORT REFORM that is fitting for this NEW CENTURY.
Your style is old and unproductive.
I can go on and on but space is restricted.
If you want to reform lay down a reasonable and realistic plan listing down everything in clear details so the main section of this triangle (us, the commuters) can understand and maybe accept it.
But it has to be compared with what the Goverment has to offer.
And then the people have to choose.
That is a basic point so that both the Govterment and ATP have to recognize and accept as it is the people who use the service, not the Goverment and the ATP.