AD chairman and MEP candidate Arnold Cassola welcomed the public transport reform saying it seemed this was, at long last, moving forward.
Public transport, he said, was an investment in the community and a public service and should not be looked at from a profit or money-making perspective.
The more public transport was used the more the country gainrf from reduced pollution from traffic, reduced stress on the road infrastructure and the more scope and space for pedestrianisation in town centres.
Prof. Cassola spoke of the need to introduce new forms of public transport, such as sea transport, buses running on clean fuels, taxis and, in the long term, trams and underground trains.
“What we cannot understand is why the bus system proposed will be based on the Euro 3 standard when the highest and cleanest standard for diesel engines is Euro 5 moving on to Euro 6 in the next couple of years.
"Why is the Ministry going for a system using old technology?
"Why does Malta have to make do with vehicles that other countries are taking off the roads?
"The talk of raising standards amounts to little more than just talk when the choice of buses is again on those using an old technology.
"This is the right time to invest in a truly modern fleet of electric or gas buses, or at the very least Euro 5 buses.
"The transport system in Gozo, which is pratically non-existent also needs serious reform if the government really wants to get the eco-Gozo concept going.”
Prof. Cassola said the ministry should also come to an agreement with bus owners who were told to buy new buses since they had been given the impression that they would be able to recover the cost of the buses through years of service using these buses.
AD MEP candidate Yvonne Arqueros Ebejer said Greens in the EP had always worked to improve the emission standards of veichles and to promote and help the mass transport sector.
Developing European policies to provide this essential service to all citizens, including Maltese and Gozitans in the cleanest possible way would be a priority for an AD MEP, she said.
MINISTRY'S REACTION
The Transport Ministry in a reaction to the AD comments, said that in preparation for the upcoming tendering process for the provision of public transport services, the Government is presently considering requiring that no part of the bus fleet is at any time older than 15 years and in any case never below Euro III standard. This standard is entirely compliant with present EU environmental directives.
"Dr Cassola erroneously refers to standards required for buses being placed as brand new on the market and applies them to the contracting of buses. But of course a bus is only new on its first day and no contract for similar services anywhere in the world requires buses to be replaced every day or even every year."
The ministry said authorities across Europe consider the Euro III emission standard to be sufficiently high so as to achieve significant environmental benefits in the operation of urban bus services. Of course this standard is automatically upgraded as the imposed age limit forces a continuous program to refresh the fleet.
Euro III standard buses will be typically not older than 6 years old, when the average age of the bus fleet today is 31 years with some buses being over 50 years old. This fact alone should indicate just how radical the improvement in the quality of buses and the reductions in emissions we can expect.
"The Maltese have every right for an adequate public transport service with much reduced emissions from current levels and much improved level of access. This must be combined with affordability that can attract more passengers away from their cars with a reasonably contained tax burden to subsidise it where and when necessary. The Government confirms its commitment to this"