Police seize driving licences in Transport Malta investigation
A number of driving licences have been seized by the police following investigations into Transport Malta's licensing department, which led to three employees being suspended last month.
According to the authority, which for years has been haunted by accusations of irregularities, progress was made on "all matters" raised in a report by a private audit firm and a letter from Transport Minister Austin Gatt. Dr Gatt had sent a stronglyworded letter with instructions to chairman Mark Portelli following the audit report which he found "deeply" concerning.
One of his orders was to employ a person by the end of June with experience in banking procedures and checks and balances to introduce the necessary procedures and monitor implementation.
A Transport Malta spokesman yesterday replied to questions sent a week ago by The Times, saying the person had been employed but adding that no other details could be divulged.
Asked whether anyone had been called to resit the driving test, the spokesman said: "We are informed the police have indeed seized a number of licences and are currently investigating others we have found to be questionable. No one can drive without a licence and to obtain a new licence, one must sit for the appropriate tests."
The investigation was prompted by allegations made by Labour MP Joe Mizzi, which led to a police investigation.
Transport Malta did not say how many licences were seized.
The report by audit firm Price-Waterhouse Coopers, which was passed on to the police, had found some people “fraudulently benefitted” from the addition of a new licence category without having sat the appropriate test.
The auditors tested 127 cases reported since 2001 and found that, while in 42 cases people had sat for the driving exam, 85 cases “remained questionable”. A sample used to test pre-2001 licence holders found 75 per cent of cases to be “suspect”. Transport Malta said it would have to verify all pre-2001 extensions, case by case, and ask all identified drivers to either prove their eligibility or else sit for the relevant exam.
The auditors found that 12.5 per cent of licences between 2007 and 2009 are suspected to have been issued “free of charge”.
An investigation into misappropriation through cancellation of receipts found another 12.5 per cent of cases “suspect”.
In 2006, the transport regulator was hit by a scandal that saw two driving instructors being convicted of bribery. Two authority officials were convicted of taking bribes the following year.
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G Falzon
Jul 11th 2010, 17:51
This is irreversible gangrene with MT (ADT) ! Terminal ill.
Paul Grech
Jul 11th 2010, 14:03
To M.Bartolo. Can you please be careful when it comes to comment on driving examiners because the way you expressed yourself is liable to court accusations. stop throwing mud. some of those things that you mentioned are true about not passing the test ,but if you think again of what you said it shows how poor your driving methods are and what a bad influence you give to new drivers. The problem is that we only hear of bad results and no one writes about passing the test on their first attempt. Most of the new drivers end up thanking the examiners for the extra time they put in informing what drastic situations can have onto the general public. Examiners are human being too, which most of them have family of their own. So start thinking what you can do to improve this horrible road conditions. Which mostly is created bye the road user itself.
G Falzon
Jul 11th 2010, 02:36
Cars with bad emissions have increased flagrantly these last few months. I manage to make 3 or 4 photos with my mobile of cars emitting ugly fumes each time I travel from Paola to Valletta. Where is TM all this time?
Raymond Cutajar
Jul 10th 2010, 19:04
AND WHY so far has the section responsabile for the VRT within the ADT / TM never been put to task by the POLICE and the ministry concerned to answer why all those vehicles on the road in such a bad state ?
Does the Police Commissioner know that the good practice monitoring board for proper VRT workings was dissolved in a quite and diplomatic manner with absolute mysteriouse manner and no one was ever informed !?
Not even the GRTU ever informed its members about such an important issue !!!!!!!
This only fuels foul suspiscions .Mind you Comm. of Police this has been going on for almost 11 years
Eventfull Things do not just happen They are made and always for a purpose
Anthea Bezzina
Jul 10th 2010, 17:37
The ironic thing is that most new drivers have to take their driving test at least twice, at huge cost, at least 1000euros everything included. They do not seem however to be driving any better than us, who only took 3 months and about 15 lessons.
The whole thing has turned into a money spinner for the lucky few including the government as all they harp on are ridiculous trifles. The best thing I was thought when I was learning to drive is that acar could very easily turn into a lethal weapon if not used responsibly.
GiovDeMartino
Jul 10th 2010, 15:23
See how very clever Mr. P Cassar is. Yes ONLY IN MALTA. Perfection is found all over the world....ecxcept...yes...in Malta. How funny can some people be!
gaffarena joseph
Jul 10th 2010, 15:15
This sort of thing have been going on for many years now.The main problem is that we all be at risk with all these faked new drivers.What matters for these iresponsable instructors is only in getting money out of these learners.
alfred zammit
Jul 9th 2010, 16:34
i really cannot understand most of you.Some saythat the people who do the tests are too hard,some too lenient.Some say they are corrupt and others not qualified.Some blame the government,because they followed up the auditors reports.Who brought the subject up in the first place?How did he get the information?Why didnt he tell the police?Is this person rubbing his hands because these things happen in Malta?We should all condem corruption and take serious action but not for political gain but for a better Malta.
H Galea
Jul 9th 2010, 15:26
I greatly thank the Foreigners who made the comments, so you do notice the Malta Experience on you holidays, we go every day in this hell, but our moning dose not serve of any use, keep writing and do not forget your local papers.
l fenech
Jul 9th 2010, 13:53
Ser nivvintaw il-kelma "korruzzjoni".
R.Borg
Jul 9th 2010, 13:32
The auditors found that 12.5 per cent of licences between 2007 and 2009 are suspected to have been issued “free of charge”.
Is it a co-incidence that these dates fall just before and just after a crucial general election? Can it be that these "free of charge" licences were part of the usual "pjaciri" before each general election? Just asking, as with all these co-incidences, one might never say what one is up to, to stay in power!
P.Cassar
Jul 9th 2010, 12:44
ONLY IN MALTA
EVERY FEW MONTHS GRAVE FOULS ARE COMMITTED AND THE MINISTER PLODS ON AND ON AS IF NOTHING IS HAPPENING.
AND NOT IN ONE MINISTRY ONLY!!!!!
POOR MALTA AND THE MALTESE.
A.Tabone
Jul 9th 2010, 12:26
big lol @ appropriate tests...
'UNFAIR" tests ridt tghid Sur Gonzi hi !
Anne Farrugia
Jul 9th 2010, 11:37
A Abela...kindly note that you view the tourists driving on the Maltese roads a menace because there are not enough road signs. If there were enough then they wouldn't have the need to be a menace. That is one reason, but I shall give you another. I agree with Johann Krasser that the Maltese should LEARN the road laws, rules and regulations. If they are not educated enough to know such, then they shouldn't be given the permit to drive. Please don't tell me that you haven't encountered vehicles of various sizes which kept on going at red lights! If only the government had to install red-light cameras, I'm sure Malta would become a tax haven! The 'smooth' roads don't help either, so I'll give you that...you might have to do the job yourself...resurface the roads...get the neighbours and do it...why not!?!?!?!? Have a good driving day!
maria attard
Jul 9th 2010, 11:25
but these things only happen in malta!!!! shame on you transport malta!!
M. Tabone
Jul 9th 2010, 10:48
While these people bought their driving licence or worse given to them for free, others, the victims have to sit approximately 4/5 times to pass....they have to get the money from somewhere and someone still have to pay!!! Only in Malta -_-
Johan Krasser * Tourists
Jul 9th 2010, 10:35
From a foreigner point of view whether the Maltese have a valid driving licence or shall we say as i read a while back in this very paper bought one, they still can't drive and obey the highway code, i wouldn't trust my grandmother to sit on a back seat whilst a Maltese is driving a vehicle and thats final, till they learn the proper way on how to behave on public roads, they are a menace to the pedistrians and to themselves.
A Abela
Jul 9th 2010, 11:20
yes, and tourists who hire cars in Malta are a menace to us.
Daisy Decellis
Jul 9th 2010, 12:26
Dear Mr. Kasser,
I live abroad and trust me I have seen more than one careless driver on the road. These are found anywhere thankfully in Malta speeds are low, unfortunately the concentration is high. I understand tourists having a problem since often they are in Malta for a very short time and as far as they are concerned we drive on the wrong side of the road. I had the same problem over here when I first started driving here. So kindly I ask you to stop generalising and have a close look at the statistics of what happens in your country before you start criticising. I have seen drivers on the highway crossing three lanes at full speed not to miss an exit without even looking to see who is coming. This did not happen only once and I am sure it is against any countries' traffic code.
Daniel Gordon
Jul 9th 2010, 12:49
@A Abela:
It may well be that many of the tourists here are slow drivers, dont know where they are going, or are just plain scared.
They do NOT however, race up and down the roads with 200 decibel exhausts at all times of the day, completly ignore most traffic regulations and then start mouthing off when someone complains.
Without the tourists hiring cars, many Maltese families would be less well off. Starting with the car hire place, through the petrol stations to the insurers and mechanics who do repairs.
Engage brain before writing next time.
Kieron O'connor
Jul 9th 2010, 14:38
As someone who frequently rents cars in Malta, I can personally vouch for the "mad" driving on Maltese roads.
I would not however generalise and say all drivers are aggressive, many are just not conciencious about there personal responsibilites as drivers. Driving a car alone which could be unsafe is a failure to take personal responsibility, faulty not operative indicators, bald tyres etc.
Those who claim tourists drive slow, simply dont know the speed limits on there own roads.
I also believe the Maltese government fail in there duty of care for the road users, road markings not maintained, road signs missing. I have been driving along a main road only for a local to cut across me almost causing a collision in some imaginary right of way junction which was not marked on the road, or sign posted.
If the Maltese government is serious about road safety, considerable effort needs to be made to educate the public, but this cannot happen on unmarket unsignposted roads.
Next time I am in Malta i will be mounting a HD Video camera on the dash and posting the alarming incidents on youtube for all to see.
Andrei Azzopardi
Jul 9th 2010, 10:17
Money blinds these people. They do not think about the repercussions. A person fails the driving test for a reason: HE/SHE IS NOT SUITABLE IN OUT ROADS and please stay out of the roads if you are not competent to drive safely.
SOME TIPS: Driving licenses for 4 wheeled vehicles and/or motorbikes should be issued from 21 years of age, 18 is still very young and prone to impulsiveness. For small 'motorinos/mopeds', driving licenses could be issued from 16/18 years. Drivers over 65 should be re-tested every 3-5 years.
My 2 cents...
M. Bartolo
Jul 9th 2010, 11:56
A person fails his/her test not because s/he is unable to drive but because s/he did not pay commission to the examiner!!!! Students are failing the exams because of stupid little things. How many of you use only one hand to hold the steering wheel? how many of you use the indicator at each turn? how many of you check the mirror before braking? how mant of you use the hand brake on a stop sign? how many of you saw a person standing next to zebra crossing evidently waiting for another person and therefore did not stop because there was no need to? If you do (or don't do in certain cases) any of these and you did not pay the examiner any commission then you failed. On the other hand if you broke all these rule in one exam and paid the examiner then you.....
Deirdre Farrugia
Jul 9th 2010, 09:53
... how ironic, a young life was lost this morning, makes you wonder...