China-made buses to replace aging fleet
New public transport operator Arriva has signed a contract with a Chinese bus manufacturer for 174 new buses which will replace Malta’s ageing fleet.
Arriva, which won a 10-year contract to run the route bus service in Malta and Gozo, signed the contract with Xiamen King Long United Automotive Industry Co. Ltd (King Long).
The Chinese company will be supplying Arriva with 49, nine-metre buses and 125, 12-metre buses. All are low-floor and have on the cleaner Euro V engines. They would all be fitted with air conditioning, comfortable seating with adequate legroom and small monitors that would provide passengers with information, the company said.
Arriva’s project director Keith Bastow, said: “Arriva is replacing a large part of the island’s bus fleet as part of our commitment to delivering first class service for passengers. It is essential new vehicles greatly improve passenger comfort and reduce the environmental impact of transport in Malta.
We believe King Long have demonstrated they have the high quality manufacturing standards to produce vehicles to deliver upon these requirements.”
Hundreds of people expressed interest in working for the new bus operator that recently launched a recruitment drive ahead of starting operations on July 3.
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James A. Tyrrell
Jan 29th 2011, 20:01
@Joe Portelli. Cheap busses are only cheap if they last. China has a habit of growing rich by selling rubbish to the rest of the world. Do you really think some tin can bus made in China is going to last for any length of time on Malta's fantastic roads?
Joe Fenech
Jul 2nd 2011, 09:48
Exactly !!!! Go and get some Mercedeses, Renaults....!
Joe Portelli
Jan 29th 2011, 16:47
before criticising chinese made goods, we must accept that we can't make anything similar ourselves. Maltese are experts in criticising but when it comes to practicality and manufacture something mechanical a great big Zilge, nevertheless experts.
The transport busses issue has always been the lack of transport policy and standards, that would require educated drivers and qualitative coaches - but as this is for local use, Malta does not even consider following another country's minimum standards, such as enforced where the transport has to cross border, lorries, airplanes, ships & cars.
For the locals there is no need to follow any international rules, however the experts ignore this and allow their EGO to inform us that they would have better quality coaches if it was them and do this by critising.
The bottom line is the PRICE - China goods out beat everyone - hence EU / American & South America (Brazil) are nowadays buying heavy machinery and farming implements all made in China as the price is a 6th of what is made elswhere and that is not an easy thing to ignore. When they get old they can sell them to Malta as they did with planes buses
Russ Hornstein
Jan 28th 2011, 21:26
and who imports King Long? That answers the question...
James A. Tyrrell
Jan 28th 2011, 16:48
As with everything else made in China these buses will be absolute rubbish. This has nothing to do with improving passenger comfort or reducing the environmental impact, and everything to do with buying the cheapest rubbish they can get their hands on. Obviously Malta does not qualify for a decent make such as Volvo.
Jaycee Sullivan
Jan 28th 2011, 14:57
I couldn't agree with C. Cassar more. Actually, I was shocked when I read the buses where not from the European Union. Shameful. A disgrace if the government even allows it because of the way the tender/contract was written.
James Caruana
Jan 28th 2011, 22:39
Jaycee Sullivan what support did we get from the other EU countries with our illegal immigrants problems? Nearly nothing with illegal immigrants that leave Malta and are found in other EU countries being sent back. So Why should we support other EU countries who have not supported us?
Joseph Mifsud
Jan 28th 2011, 22:43
Jaycee Sullivan doesn't the EU believe in and promote a free market without any obstacles to trade? So how can it believe in a free market without any obstacles to trade and you want the Maltese Government to stop this company from importing buses from China? It is interference to free trade which is a cornerstone of the EU Jaycee. Now whether you like it or not that is what is going to happen and you have to lump it.
Paul Fenech
Jan 28th 2011, 14:18
Others have already asked whether the seats are suitable for our bottoms because Chinese bottoms seem to be smaller than ours.
Anthony Brown
Jan 28th 2011, 13:18
To be honest, i am not concerned on who is going to provide the vehicles to Arriva. It is far more important to understand the requirement standards. As far as i am concern, I can't imagine Arriva allowing the supplier to deliver nothing less than a quality product meeting all the requirements, and those i pretty high standards. It is their reputation on the line...
C Cassar
Jan 28th 2011, 11:55
Shame Arriva didn't buy their buses for the Malta network from another EU country instead of China. You won't find any Chinese made buses operated by Arriva UK. They use Volvo, DAF or a variety of other EU based manufacturers. Very nice move to support your European neighbours after receiving €100 millions from the EU of the last 3-4 years.
Joe Demanuele
Jan 28th 2011, 14:16
C Cassar Why don't you say how much money we have sent to the EU? Here is what has been posted on The times many times. We are sending it €186,000 every day as membership fees, all customs duties and levies while we pay the customs officers to collect them, we are losing the interests on the foreign reserves that we had to transfer to the ECF in Frankfurt when we joined the Euro, the loss of the Italian Protocol, the destruction of our industries, the invasion of foreign workers and illegal immigrants undercutting the Maltese workers and living like leeches on our social services, mass unemployment of Maltese workers. etc etc etc Go to the CNI website and learn the truth of what was and is being hidden from the Maltese people http://www.cnimalta.org/
C Cassar
Jan 28th 2011, 20:34
@Joe Demanuele: Malta is a net gainer of funds from the EU and has been since accession to the EU. If you don't understand that then there is no hope for you getting involved in these discussions. Yes, Malta pays money to the EU but it also receives money. It's a little like paying bills and earning a salary. The salary is greater than the total sum of bills. This won't last foerever. As soon as Malta's GDP reaches a certain level it will be a net contributor and quite rightly so since it will have been teh EU that will have played a major role in increasing Malta's GDP. That's the whole point of the EU, take in new members, provide them funding until they reach a certain GDP. It's called increasing the wealth and quality of life of citizens in these countries. The rest of the EU is open to all Maltese for job opportunities and living opportunities on an equal basis unlike pre-accession days.
Joe Demanuele
Jan 28th 2011, 22:35
C Cassar Malta is NOT a net beneficiary Cassar. Why has the Government never accepted the challenge to publish exactly how much EU membership is costing us? Because the people will come to know that what they have been fed is a pack of lies. Consider what we have lost in our industries, the invasion of foreigners including illegal immigrants, the increase in taxes which the Government cannot deny because they are ordered by the EU such as the minimum tax on fuel and energy sources. The part of VAT that we are paying to the EU, the customs duties and levies to protect its industries in other countries which all go to the EU. These are just a few examples Cassar and show why the Government does not want to make a cost-benefit analysis. As for the opportunities of working in other countries they have always existed, but why should Maltese persons have to leave their country because their work us being taken by foreigners who are undercutting them when previously no foreigner was allowed to work here for only a very limited time and only unless no Maltese workers was able to do the job?
Gordon Lawrence
Jan 28th 2011, 11:40
anything thats made in china fall to bits,these buses will not last very long on malta`s roads i have had a few things made in china ther build quality is garbage as you shall see. i am glad i wont be traveling on them, they tried to sell a motor bike made in china in the uk, the parts fitted that badly that the bike shook its self to bits as you were riding it, cheap chinese rubbish
Mr B J Simmons
Jan 28th 2011, 11:31
King Long buses eh!
Having experienced the King Long buses that arrived a few years ago, I would have thought that open lorries would be more comfortable!
The article says seating and legroom will improve. I can hardly see how it could have been any worse. They began to look tatty withing months of being used. The 1960 Bedfords are far more comfortable.
I wish Aviva good luck with the changover, but hope that the new King Longs will be better than the original ones.
The one remaining improvement will be to weed out all the current drivers that are not up to standard and keep the better ones whilst encouraging them all to treat the passengers as customers rather than an inconvenience.
A. Portelli
Jan 28th 2011, 16:27
Please note that this will now be a privitised service by a company that will be employing people solely dedicated to maintaning buses in tiptop form. Also if you are so much against China built products, you can stop buying electrical goods since most of them are made in China.
From my travelling experience in other European countries (Italy, Greece),city buses do not even provide seating space for every passenger, becuase they only have few seats for the elderly and the disabled and you are complaining about legroom. Please make everybody a favour and shut up. Wait for the service to start before complaining.