Bus owners in bid for tender

dbugeja

Sep 18th 2009, 13:24

does this means that the bus fare will go up too? not so good for those who use it everyday

Pauline Ellul

Sep 18th 2009, 10:32

i agree with ms cardona.
no one knows how much we're hurt.i remember my dad buying these buses so he gives 1 to me and to my brothers.my hsband spent 3 yrs building our bus from scratch and now when i think that someone is going to take it away from me i go nuts.
you all mention clean buses when you dirty them yourselfs.buses are vandalised by commuters,thorn seats,tippex on windows and so on.
everyone is ready to blame us as we are the worst people on the planet.
we keep our bus tidy and clean and we also do all the maintenance that should be done.
we have families like all of you have.
my bus is going to be taken away from me just after 2 yrs back on the road and that really hurts.

G.Tabone

Sep 18th 2009, 07:46

I agree with you Ms farrugia. however i think that although we have to educate the drivers even the lay people have to be educated not to litter buses, throw tickets on the floor, going on bus with pastizzi, pizza and then leave the papers on the side of the seat. and more even BE MORE TOLLERABLE TOWARDS THE DRIVERS AND NOT ARROGANT. i am not saying that drivers are saints but most of the time it's the lay person who starts it all over!!!! i know what i'm saying coz i am a driver myself and try to be polite and take care of my passengers and albeit this i get insults for driving slow in HEAVY RAIN. get insulted for not giving 1c change by mistake.....COME ON this is the reality and that is why drivers act that way!!!!! YOU ALL NEED TO DO A DAY INFRONT OF THE STEERING to understand what i'm saying!!!!!!!!

Nathalie Cardona

Sep 17th 2009, 12:02

Taking our heritage from our hearts!!!!!!! No one can understand what a bus driver/owner will feel when stealing his own good. Working long hours to seduce their own families and to keep their buses tidy.....although they are the customers who keep on messing the buses, and no one said how many vandalism the bus drivers find in their own buses!!! For anyone information they must wear a blue trousers and a light blue shirt as a uniform........what the hell are you expecting...a bow or a tie in a 40C temperature!!!! They do not have a canteen or a toilet to do their needs properly! And who is responsible.....The GOVERNMENT!!! Not only for all these years He did not provide any conveinience but now he is stealing our right for our BUSINESS!!!! Who are the ones who have paid, maintained and keeping the buses up to standard...most of them!!! Remember we have the right to have a good job, right hours and a good compensation and wages!!!! We also faught for our rights in July 2008 when the 4 day strike took place, but the return was 11 DAYS IN PRISON FOR NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!

R.Gauci

Sep 17th 2009, 10:25

Who ever wins the tender, one thing is sure ie. he has to invest a huge sum of money to make the service to EU standards and financially viable. This will definetly increase the present price which is an average of 47c and will make it hard for some commuters to afford it especially pensioners & students!
The millions of taxpayers money which had been given in subsidies in the last years should had been used much better to improve the service instead they were being used like a grant and no one was giving a hick!!

However to have a better bus service the goverment also needs to do his part & built new roads infrastructure and bus lanes to make it fast and reliable and avoid buses get stuck in traffic jams and also suitable bus terminals,the one in Valletta should had been incorporated with the proposed City Gate Project and protect passangers from the weather elements!!
Who ever wins the tender should give drivers training and assesment, offer new conditions of work this to change the present mentality and make them reliable as I am sure most of the drivers will remain the same we have!

C.ZARB

Sep 17th 2009, 10:01

@ Mr Farrugia

I never said that buses shouldn't be eco friendly. What I said was that I believe that raising the fee too much for the sole reason of bringing in the most eco friendly buses available will not help the situation. Quite contrary it may outprice many people who will see it cheaper to use the car rather then the bus. As a regular bus customer I see myself pretty eco friendly since that mean that my car is left in the garage more often then one may think (I use the car about once a week). Can you say the same thing about yourself?

@ Mr Tabone. If the fee is raised to one euro then I won't complain as long as the service becomes as efficient as the one in London or in Rome. If it goes beyond the 1 euro mark then I may have to search for other alternatives. I don't think that we need ACs on buses. What we need are big windows which allows ventilation to take place.

Francesca Abela

Sep 17th 2009, 09:25

G. Tabone - You are wrong when you say that people who are in favour of the reform are people who do not use buses. I have been using the buses for 30 years now and we do know what we are saying when the majority of the commuters say that a bus transport reform is well overdue. You are no doubt aware of all the commuters' complaints and we do not need to list these. Everything has a price in life so we have to be ready for a reasonable rise in bus fares.

Franco Farrugia

Sep 17th 2009, 09:14

I think that what the people want are the following:
- a reliable service;
- an environmentally-friendly service;
- a balanced fare;
- a fast service;
- a polite and clean presentation;
amongst other things that I have no time to write down.
As for people who growl and groan that they're not interested in the service being environmentally-friendly, or 'green', I say to them that they don't have their priorities right in life and that it's a blessing that those in power DO care just that little bit more about the environment than these people do.
We have to look after our environment and if it means that we have to pay those extra cents per day in order to give it a push in the right direction, and make do without buying that marble 'kolonna' for our 'intrata' this year, then, let's do it. The 'kolonna' is not going to help make the air cleaner; but green buses do!

G.Tabone

Sep 17th 2009, 08:47

Everyone amuses me on here. as said in other blogs i will copy all your comments and when the reform is on....i will paste all those comments who are in favor of this much awaited reform. I think that most of you do not use buses and that is why you are in favor of this reform. On the other hand, I agree with C.Zarb that the fares will be higher and THE MALTESE WILL NOT LIKE THAT!!!!! some persons make FUSS over 1c of a Euro change, what they will do when they are presented with the new fares????Kif tmisslu l-but l-Malti joqmos

if we have ac's in buses and stuff like that we have to pay MUCH MORE THAN Eur 0.47c. FORGET IT. Yes I am in favor of a better service but I want to be realistic.

Emanuel Scicluna

Sep 17th 2009, 07:20

The bus in this photo seems to have 3 contraventions, 1) the emission coming out of the exhaust pipe, 2) the door step opened while the vehicle is in motion and 3) the improperly dressed driver with his shirt wide open like he is going for a fight, and for such a reason that I can't understand why, The times has blank out the plate of the bus and does not done the same to the police vehicle. Does it looks to be fair?

r pace bonello

Sep 16th 2009, 19:53

An award winning photograph indeed. Proves what the public has been saying all along - If the police do not take any action, why should the bus drivers abide by the law?

Any comments from the Commissioner of Police? Do not bet on it.

Do not care who wins the tender, as long as they abide by the rules, are held accountable and that the new employees will be given a proper contract of service and if they break it they will be fired - even if they happen to be shareholders! If handled professionally the new service will attract thousands of new riders, thereby substantially increasing the Company's revenues with the result that fares do not have to be raised.

Tony Caruana

Sep 16th 2009, 18:14

God help us please..

DBorg

Sep 16th 2009, 16:44

@ Anthony Dimech
M'hemmx dubju li ha jghola...imma trid tara wkoll kemm hu tajjeb is-servizz presenti, u kemm ghadu worth it li jkollok karozza tieghek illum!

Francesca Abela

Sep 16th 2009, 16:16

C. Zarb - yes the weekly/monthly/yearly tickets is a good idea which I had suggested to the Ministry concerned when they requested the public's feedback on the new public transport reform. In that way the commuters will have a choice to buy a weekly/monthly/yearly tickets which would be at a discounted rate. Also, the bus operators will have the money in advance.

A. Vassallo

Sep 16th 2009, 15:54

I am over 50-years-old.

Will any one give me a guarantee, if I am still alive, that we will have this much awaited revolution in our public transport (since the early 70’s) in a very short time, and finally we can say that we have a Public Transport system at least, of not state of the art, the system should be like the ones we all know about, that is, European Union standard.

j.schembri

Sep 16th 2009, 15:45

VERY FUNNY PICTURE INDEED......... AND IT IS ALL TRUE....... WE NEVER LEARN.....OOPS SORRY!!!!! WE .... DON'T WANT TO .... LEARN!!!!

C.ZARB

Sep 16th 2009, 15:42

Pensioners have subsidies that's true. But many students don't. Not to forget that a majority of those who currently use the public transport are people who cant afford using the car regularly. That's why its important not to raise the fee too much.

A good idea that should be introduced is the weekly/monthly/yearly ticket. Currently there is something of that kind in Malta but its targeted for tourists and its not worth to buy unless you're going to pass much of your time swapping buses. A loyalty card will not only contribute in keeping the prices low and ensuring a fixed guarantee revenue to the bus operator but would also encourage people who use the bus to use it even more frequently (since once paying a yearly ticket you can take as many buses you want for free).

Francesca Abela

Sep 16th 2009, 15:23

There are reduced fares with respect to pensioners and students as is the case with overseas bus fares. Also the salaries of our European counterparts are much more than ours so we cannot really compare the 1 Euro. As far as I know the bidders are requested to include a proposal for reduced fares - correct me if I am wrong. I do agree that the more people use public transport the less the pollution.

C.ZARB

Sep 16th 2009, 15:13

Ms Abela, there is no fee yet set. My point is that considering that there are many young men/pensioners using the public transport then anything above the 1 euro mark will be considered excessive. Let me remind you that, that fee is more or less what other European countries pay and they have to face higher labour costs and distances then we do.

Low Emissions are important and we should bring in modern buses that cater for that. Stating that I disagree with JBrownie when he/she said that its the most important thing. In my opinion the most important thing is to provide a flexible and efficient public transport at reasonable prices. Once that is achieved it will trigger a series of events were people will start preferring leaving their car at home and use the bus. This will, in itself lower the emissions to a bare minimum. One of the main reasons why air pollution is so high in Malta is because there are too many cars and no real alternative to them. The public transport should aim to become that alternative.

Francesca Abela

Sep 16th 2009, 14:46

C. Zarb - I get your point about the clean buses. I was not aware that a figure has been set for the new fares. Yes 1 Euro could be a bit too much - where did you get that figure from ? 1 Euro fare could be applicable to say direct services to/from airport/port and late night bus services which goes on till say 1 a.m. Whether we like it or not we will have to have buses with low emissions in time. I do not understand why this is so difficult. I have travelled on buses in Italy, France, Germany and the U.K. and have never seen emissions of the type we have in Malta. One has also to look from the health point of view too. Finally, I do hope that the bus reform will prove to be a success and of benefit to both bus operators and the commuters.

C.Zarb

Sep 16th 2009, 14:14

Ms Abela I tried to take the average amount of passengers of a bus which also include early mornings and late evenings. When I mentioned clean buses I was referring to the emissions. While its important to have modern buses who have low emissions I don't think that many customers would want to pay 1 - 2 extra euros just to have the most environment friendly buses on the planet. To conclude, no one expects to have a better service without paying extra for it. Stating that anything above the 1 euro per trip will be too much.

amifsud

Sep 16th 2009, 14:05

I love The times' subtle sense of humour with this picture!!!!

Francesca Abela

Sep 16th 2009, 14:04

C. Zarb - I think you have got your figures wrong - 20 people is sometimes the amount of people STANDING on a bus - the bus takes about 40 or so people. Also,the service is not only about having a clean bus, which is a good and hygienec thing too, but all the problems that we commuters have to meet every day when using the bus service. I agree with the rest of your comments. One thing I am sure of is that most people will pay that bit extra to have a proper bus service which is something we have been longing for now over 40 years. We have always had to fork out more money on bus fares without getting the service.

E. Azzopardi

Sep 16th 2009, 13:17

This is now do or die for the country. If this comes out to be excellent as it should now be,
we shall have less cars on the road, less emissions from the bless buses themselves, less noise, less arrogance etc etc. So it better be very good and CONSISTENTLY good.
Consistency: something we are definitely not renowned for, unfortunately. It's the truth!!!!

C.ZARB

Sep 16th 2009, 13:16

I don't want to sound rude, but how many of you use the buses regularly? I am one of a dying breed who use them at least twice a day and honestly I dont want to fork extra money just to have the cleanest buses on earth. After all one bus takes at least 20 passengers which means that bus had taken 20 cars out of the street. Im sure that a modern bus will never pollute that much.

What the customers want are the basic stuff. A transport service which is fast, frequent and can actually be relied on. A time schedule that reflects modern time (There are places were the bus stop at 10pm). Seats that have enough space to put your feet in and bus drivers who care about their customers. All wrapped up at a value for money fee. I see alot of pensioners and students taking such service so it wont be wise to raise the prices too much

We dont care about electronic ticketing systems which take hours to process and we can easily live without AC as long as the buses are provided with big windows that can actually be opened/closed.

Francesca Abela

Sep 16th 2009, 13:09

Hopefully the bus reform will go ahead as soon as possible to the benefit of all concerned. A very important aspect to its success will be the use of pre-paid tickets which one can purchase before boarding a bus. Also the facility of buying buy block tickets (carnets of 10 tickets) beforehand say from stationers, etc. if there are no bus ticket booths or ticket vending machines . In that way no more arguments etc. with bus drivers regarding change, etc. and it will hasten the process when boarding buses. I also expect that the bus drivers will be made to wear a proper uniform, be clean shaven and work the normal hours of work which can only be done I suppose if they work on a shift basis.

A. Borg

Sep 16th 2009, 12:42

Irrid nara issa kemm se jkun in-Noll! Qalbi tghidli li se jkunu hafna dawk li jqumu kmieni u jmorru xoghol bil-mixi! F'Malta kullhadd irid l-aqwa kwalita imma hadd mhu lest ihallas ghalija! Ha jsir in-noll id-doppju bhal ma gara fic-cilindri tal-gas ha nara kemm ikunu dawk li jibqu jghidu favur ir-riforma.Kieku dik ix-xarabank tar-ritratt kellhom ihalluha tahdem la ssir ir-riforma imma tibqa bl-istess noll nizgurakhom li addio id-duhhan ghax il-pulizija li hemm fir-ritratt ikollna bzonnhom biex izommu l-kju!

B Zammit

Sep 16th 2009, 12:31

Remember that we have been in the EU for 5 years already.

From 2011, anyone else from the EU can work in Malta freely (just like, since 2004, we have been free to work anywhere in the EU).

JBrownie

Sep 16th 2009, 12:29

The most important consideration in the selection of an operator is that the technology it brings will produce the LOWEST POSSIBLE EMISSIONS. Everything else will be secondary.

C Cassar

Sep 16th 2009, 11:46

The contract must not be given to a bidder with any kind of Maltese partner. Otherwise nothing will change and old habits will remain. We need a fresh outlook on how to run the system with brand new modern buses that have a proper maintenance plan.

One of the key components for any new operator is brand new buses from day one of the new service. None of the existing buses must be used except a small handful that are tested beforehand to meet the strict EU emissions criteria.

Additionally, from day one electonic ticketing/payment facilities must be made available on all buses to stop the current nonsense of messing around with 47c or whatever.

I would also expect most existing bus drivers to not be part ofthe new service. A strict selection criteria should be applied to pick the very few out those that currently drive.

Strict training should be part of the new operators mandate before any service starts. Additionally, strict enforcement of smart modern uniforms must be applied.

D. Scerri

Sep 16th 2009, 11:42

Any of these groups proposing to use zero emission vehicles?

J Oatmon

Sep 16th 2009, 11:27

I think the lower the involvement of the existing bus providers in the consortia bidding for the work the better off the public will be. Th existing bus providers have no concern for the health of the general public - their concern is to make as much money as they can under any circumstances.

James Dimech

Sep 16th 2009, 11:24

Tata and King Long buses...together with our third world roads and second hand Japanese cars...just what we need to make our country look further like Bombay.

All we need is to add some rikshaws and cows and in the middle of the road

Michael Reynolds

Sep 16th 2009, 11:18

I can't see a winning contractor from outside Malta would recruit drivers from their own countries to work in Malta. It is likely that the winning bidder will employ local drivers, the same ones who are disgracing the system at the moment.

Charles Micallef

Sep 16th 2009, 11:04

If the contract had to be awarded on past performance, the bid that includes less than 50% of the present bus drivers will find it very difficult to convince the bus using public that their present standard of service will change overnight as it is widely expected!

A Grima

Sep 16th 2009, 10:55

Your picture says it all? I wonder if the policemen behind the fuming bus smsed an emission alert - I guess not!

C Cassar

Sep 16th 2009, 10:53

Nice photo. A ageing bus spewing out black exhaust fumes and behind it is a police car.
Again, why does the Times of Malta always blank out the plate of the vehicle (the bus in this case)? I can understand that in normal circumstances but this is bus is clearly breaking emissions regulations.

Maybe someone from the Times would like to reply to my comment right here on this blog?

mrs g hoare

Sep 16th 2009, 10:40

The important issue of who takes over is , the attitudeof thier drivers , being polite , obey to a no smoking on the bus ,smartly dressed some of the bus drivers look and smell as if they havent changed for a week ,the loud annoying music speeding,the over loading of standing people beening squashed like sardines ,I allways try and praise our Maltese buses and how cheap the fares are but i think thier attiitude is far cheaper then thier fare.MAYBE this will shake thier feathers,