The Labour Party has a comprehensive plan to improve the public transport system, which was one of this government's biggest "fiascos", Labour leader Joseph Muscat said.

Acknowledging that driver courtesy on the buses had improved with the introduction of Arriva, Dr Muscat said the reform had, however, failed to reduce the number of cars on Maltese roads and actually resulted in more traffic. He said the party would, in the coming days, announce its traffic management plan which would include a reform of the present public transport system.

"We want a system that runs on time and efficiently. This reform was one of biggest fiascos which dented the government's credibility," Dr Muscat told youths at an event last night at the Aria nightclub in Tal-Balal.

During a question and answer session, Dr Muscat also mentioned the party's proposals on teachers.

He said he had received many emails from teachers expressing satisfaction that someone had finally remembered that they existed. "We want to elevate the teaching profession so we proposed a campaign for more respect for teachers."

He spoke about the "revolutionary" proposal to enable teachers to move from State to church or independent schools and vice versa and the one-year sabbatical for teachers to further their studies and progress in their careers.

"This investment is as important as that in brand new schools," he said.

Dr Muscat said his government would send a clear message that violence, especially on teachers, was never justified.

He touched upon the creation of employment opportunities for women to return to work, saying this was one of the ways to a sustainable pension system. He mentioned the €2,000 tax credit a Labour government would offer mothers returning to work.

Dr Muscat reiterated his party's pledge for civil unions for gay couples. Even transgender people would have improved rights with the eradication of the humiliation they face.

Answering a question on his views on the campaign so far, Dr Muscat said this was not a campaign of politicians but one of the people. "Something is happening which is uniting people. If we abandon the past, the blue and the red, we can have a government for all," he said to a loud applause.

He appealed for more people to join his movement for change. Voting for a Labour government will give future generations the "biggest gift" they could get, he said.