Government denies transport reform would cost €45 million

The Transport Ministry has denied the Public Transport Association's claim that the planned reform of public transport would cost taxpayers €45 million.

The association insisted the bus fares would increase because of the reform and accused the ministry of refusing to say how much the changes would cost.

The government forks out a daily subsidy of almost €11,000 after it assured bus owners last year it would make up the difference if they did not manage to raise a total of €60,000. Since then, the association collected a daily average of €49,000 and the government forked out €11,000 in subsidies.

Following a national conference on transport reform, the government recently said a public tender would be issued in July. The association protested and claimed the reform would cost taxpayers millions of euros.

The association has called on its members to form small groups and bid for the tender. The ministry said that instead of preparing its members for the tender, the association's main contribution towards the reform was a strike, protests and partisan statements.

The association was incorrect to say it was being excluded from running an unscheduled service, the ministry added. It had to understand that the quality of scheduled and unscheduled services was set by the government in the passengers' interests, the ministry said.