Bidding bus service operators 'not worried' about drivers
Companies bidding for the new public transport contract are not worried about the notorious reputation of bus drivers, with one operator saying his consortium could handle the situation.
"There are only 10 to 12 trouble makers. We know exactly who they are and we are prepared to deal with them", a director from one of the bidding consortiums said.
Under the terms of an agreement the government struck with bus drivers last week, whoever wins the bid to run the new public transport system will have to offer a guaranteed 10-year job to 405 of the current bus drivers or owners.
The deal controversially also included a compensation package of €53.8 million, paid in exchange for the bus owners relinquishing their licences and buses.
Only three bus owners decided not to sign the agreement they were offered.
The deal was met with criticism by many who felt the compensation was excessive and that the 10-year guarantee was anachronistic.
Chamber of Commerce president Helga Ellul said: "Job guarantees are unheard of in this day and age, let alone a 10-year guarantee, and they should certainly not be offered on top of pay-out compensation figures. This is not how the real world operates."
But four representatives from eight consortiums bidding for the contract said they were not concerned about the job guarantee.
"We were planning to employ the same number of bus drivers currently in service anyway. It makes more sense than hiring someone without experience... we even had a meeting with them in the past months," a company director from one consortium said.
"Moreover, a job guarantee does not mean these people will be above the disciplinary proceedings established by law. Employers have rights too."
The view was echoed by other potential operators who spoke to The Sunday Times. Only one of them was actually critical of the clause.
"We're not particularly concerned, even though a job guarantee is not really something you expect in this day and age, especially from a minister who professes the principles of the free market. But that's life isn't it?" he said.
However, he expressed confidence that drivers could be re-trained to a standard that satisfied their foreign partner, which runs public transport systems in major European cities.
"The majority of the bus drivers are decent, it's only a few rotten apples that spoil the basket. But in the main, we're confident that they can be trained to deliver a quality service," he said. The transport ministry has now informed the consortiums which expressed an interest in running the new service that there are 405 bus drivers - 215 owners/drivers, 10 owners and 180 employed drivers - to whom they must offer a job, and 125 low-floor type buses from the current stock which they will also have to take.
Eight companies expressed an interest in the process last September, including a consortium which includes around half the current number of bus drivers, who teamed up with Tumas Group and leading UK transport company Arriva.
The rest of the consortiums included Maltese investors such as the Gasan group, and international companies running transport systems in the UK, France, Spain, Hungary and Italy.
Bussing to the bank
Kurt Bugeja Coster, meanwhile, asked some people in Republic Street about their view on the compensation given to the bus owners. See the replies on video.
More stories in the News section.
13 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
E. Azzopardi
Feb 1st 2010, 17:33
To say that there are only 10-12 trouble makers means that this bidder has no idea of the public transport in Malta. I am very sceptical about this "reform" and this statement does not augur well at all. We have all been there before. I pray to the Almighty Lord that all that taxpayers money is not going down the drain!!!!
bob jones
Sep 4th 2010, 00:28
if someone says to you malta the first thing that comes into your head is the old busses the old busses are maltas herritage th dirvers put pride in decorating their old busses and its not fair on them and its not fair on the people who go to malta to see the old busses cant they just invent a universal eco engine or something that is environmently friendly but keeps the old busses on the road.
GF Cortini
Feb 1st 2010, 17:05
Hmmm. How does a new foreign operator know EXACTLY the type of persons in their prospective workforce? Very fishy. So they get a payout, 10 year job guarantee and get their posts back. We're getting the same old people and the same old system in a different guise. Let's hope at least SOME things will be better...
C Pisani
Feb 1st 2010, 14:39
"The majority of the bus drivers are DECENT, it's only a few rotten apples that spoil the basket." Decent? that good enough?
Anthony Borg
Jan 31st 2010, 20:55
After all that been said and done, the present Administration (through Austin Gatt--may he long be remembered for this), has done a good deal indeed!
He got rid of a sore (pjaga) that has been troubling successive governments...and dumped it onto the
the bus commuters. He dished out a very generous settlement sum to the bus owners from our tax-money and now, like Pontius Pilate, will wash his hands from this troublesome sector...
I guess we deserve this treatment... after all the “maltese gemgem” (grumbling) has not been coined accidentally. Was it Aristotle that said, "Every country gets the government it deserves"? What is baffling is the total silence from the Opposition.
Quote - “Companies bidding for the new public transport contract are not worried about the notorious reputation of bus drivers”. Ofcourse not, they have not been harassed by them for decades. We, the decent Maltese commuter, knows better. The only solution is to continue using our private cars and refrain from using a half-baked solution.
Claire Busuttil
Jan 31st 2010, 20:41
There are only 10 to 12 trouble makers
10-12???????????????????????????????????????????????
Joe Buttigieg
Jan 31st 2010, 14:52
'Bus service operators not worried about drivers? It's their prospective customers who are worried! Past experience counts more than promises. I'll bet my last sixpence that the present owners/drivers will carry their arrogance into the future bus service!
Jesmond Micallef
Jan 31st 2010, 13:45
Oviously a massively significant reshuffle in Malta's Public Transport system.
Hopefully, the transition from the "traditional" to the "efficient" translates in a smooth and acceptable manner to all. This "radical" change in Malta's Public transport system will not just benefit the public in quality and safe transportation, but will even reap environmental benefits too. Remember, Malta also needs that. !!!
The bus drivers should take full advantage of the training and education that will form part of the package. Maybe even Maltese and English language subsidised training could be a good proposal here, not to mention other european ones. Some large firms operating in Germany, do indeed offer language training to thier employees wether its German or English, for example. Here maybe thought should be given to education programmes under the European Social Development Funds for example. MCAST has such programmes in its portfolio.
Interesting to note that the Gasan Group will contribute its bidding business proposal here. Mr. Gasan was actually a founding figure in the history of Public Transport in Malta.
With my sincere very best wishes.
James Symons
Jan 31st 2010, 12:56
It seems strange to me that the Government can't simply cancel the licences, after all, they seem to have the power to enact other retrospective legislation, ie the introduction of new levels of property CGT introduced to take effect retrospectively and applying to property bought under the old structure.
D. Scerri
Jan 31st 2010, 11:31
I suspect that the consortium including the bus drivers will be awarded the tender. This will be another example of government kow-towing to the interests of the few over the many. Of course, as with everything else, we shall be told that the bid was the most competitive and fulfilled all the requirements. Usual waffle, but in the end we'll be in the same position, just with a little less money in our pockets.
cARMEL cILIA
Jan 31st 2010, 10:58
I have only one question to ask the honorable minister Gatt viz if we are to have the same bus drivers and most of the same buses where is the change going to be. In one word the government could have enforced new regulations and saw that they were adhered to and the taxpayer could well have saved 55 million Euros. With this government in office there is only one phrase to recite ORA PRO NOBIS.
victor pulis
Jan 31st 2010, 10:07
Of course! they most probably never use the service anyway!!
Franco Farrugia
Jan 31st 2010, 10:03
Probably because they don't know what kind of people they are? I bet the majority of the Maltese people ARE WORRIED!