British company Arriva’s bid to run the public transport bus service in Malta will not be affected by its takeover by German state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn, a company spokesman said.

On Wednesday, the European Commission gave Deutsche Bahn the green light to acquire Arriva.

“The decision has no effect on Arriva’s proposed activity in Malta,” a company spokesman said when asked whether the acquisition will have an impact on the public transport bid negotiations in Malta.

A spokesman for Deutsche Bahn would not comment on Arriva’s actions in Malta.

“Due to the fact that the takeover still is not completed, we refuse to comment on any business activities of Arriva,” a spokesman for Deutsche Bahn said, referring this newspaper to Arriva.

The spokesman said that once the deal goes through Arriva will become the international business arm of Deutsche Bahn for regional traffic. “Consequently, the Arriva brand will be retained outside Germany,” he said.

Arriva heads the consortium that is earmarked to take over the island’s public transport system and is currently in negotiations with Transport Malta to start the long-awaited reform by March. Tumas Group are the other partners in the consortium.

Deutsche Bahn is a multinational which has operations in 150 countries and employs about 240,000 staff, three-quarters of whom are based in Germany. Revenues last year were €29.3 billion.

The European competition regulator’s approval of the acquisition for €1.8 billion is conditional upon Deutsche Bahn’s commitment to divest Arriva Deutschland, which includes the entire rail and bus business of Arriva in Germany.

Arriva, based in the north-eastern English city of Sunderland, operates both train and bus services in Britain, employing more than 40,000 workers.