Arriva has until tomorrow to react to a technical report on the safety of bendy buses, which the Government has ordered off the roads.

Transport Minister Joe Mizzi has received the final version of a technical report he commissioned two weeks ago after the third articulated bus caught fire in as many days.

The report was the main item of discussion in meetings between Mr Mizzi and Transport Malta chief executive officer James Piscopo yesterday.

Mr Mizzi also met Arriva management, including managing director Mark Bowd, who would not speak to waiting journalists as he left the Transport Ministry.

The public transport operator was asked to make its submissions about the report within 48 hours. Mr Mizzi told the Arriva officials that the use of bendy buses would remain suspended. He also said he was awaiting the outcome of a magisterial inquiry into the fires.

Requests by this newspaper for information on the conclusions of the technical report remained unheeded by the ministry.

Coaches provided by the Unscheduled Bus Service will continue being used on some of the routes previously served by bendy buses.

Before the meetings, Mr Mizzi told the media he was prepared to take “tough decisions” with regard to bendy buses.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said during a radio interview on Sunday that, according to feedback he had received, their removal had resulted in a better flow of traffic.

With a capacity of 143 passengers, all 68 bendy buses can carry up to 9,724 people at a time while the remaining 217 have a total capacity of 13,551 passengers.

While visually the situations were certainly striking, safety was never put at risk

The first fire that sparked off the decision to remove the bendy buses from the roads took place in the early hours of August 25.

The blaze completely destroyed the articulated vehicle that was engulfed in flames near the Maltapost head office in Marsa.

Luckily, there were no passengers on board and the driver managed to get off in time.

The second incident occurred later that day when the back of another bendy bus caught fire on the way down the hill in Mellieħa. Twelve passengers were on board but nobody was injured.

A less serious incident was reported that afternoon at Tal-Barrani, when a bus had to stop after smoke was seen billowing from its engine.

However, two days later, another bendy bus had to be evacuated as it was driving through Xemxija after its engine started billowing smoke and then caught fire.

Following these incidents, Arriva reassured the public that its buses were safe and passenger safety remained its top priority.

“While visually the situations were certainly striking, the well-being and safety of our passengers and employees were never put at risk,” a company spokesman said.

He said that all buses underwent regular checks according to set criteria established by the regulator.

Both buses that caught alight had regularly passed their annual VRT tests, held as recently as last June.

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