Arriva set to mobilise staff to Malta if chosen

The British transport company Arriva, the majority shareholder in the consortium that is leading bids for the new public transport service contract, is taking measures to be able to mobilise its staff if it is chosen.

Arriva, which operates public transport services in 12 European countries, issued an internal call asking who of its present employees was interested in being seconded to Malta to manage the new bus service here. The call was issued months before it was proclaimed the preferred bidder.

Arriva Malta Consortium’s bid for the 10-year public transport contract is €42 million cheaper than that of its competitor, Transdev Plus.

Arriva Malta has a mix of Maltese and foreign interests. The 193 bus owners and members of the Public Transport Association, who formed the company Malta Land Transport plc, were given the option of purchasing a maximum of 10 per cent shares in the consortium, according to the Transport Ministry. Tumas Group owns another 33 per cent.

A spokesman for Arriva in the UK told The Times the internal call it had issued was “normal practice”, especially for such a large project as taking over Malta’s public transport service.

The company issued internal calls for a managing director, finance and operations directors and managers for the training centre and for the training in customer services. Arriva is also seeking to send someone to Malta as a driving instructor and to recruit bus drivers.

“We anticipate being confirmed as the preferred bidder and to enable the business to mobilise quickly and efficiently, we are looking for talented people already in Arriva to undertake secondments to Malta to share their knowledge and skills. If our bid is successful we will have a range of secondments, the earliest commencing August 2010,” read a notice on the company’s website when the openings were an-nounced.

The spokesman said the secondment process was “speculative” and part of the company’s normal planning and preparation for bids so as to ensure “we have lined up quick access to the best and brightest talent that Arriva has if we are successful in winning the contract”.

French consortium Transdev Plus, which was the other shortlisted bidder for the public transport contract, is made up of Transdev, which also runs public transport services across Europe, the Gasan Group, and CVA Technology Ltd which operates the controlled vehicle access system in Valletta.

Transdev Plus Consortium asked for an average annual subsidy of €11.7 million while Arriva Malta Consortium asked for €7.5 million. Unlike the current subsidy system, which is open-ended and subject to fluctuations, the fixed subsidy will no longer expose the government to increased costs if the number of commuters decreases.

Arriva’s target is to increase the number of bus passengers by 54 per cent over current levels by the end of the 10-year contract term as well as to reduce the carbon footprint of Malta’s bus operation by 15 per cent.

One of the main aims of Arriva is to be more environment friendly. The fleet will be fitted with eco-driving technology and tyre inflation monitoring, while engines will be turned off between journeys.

The preferred bidder also undertook to employ around 1,100 people in Malta’s public transport operations – more than double the existing number.