Transport Minister Joe Mizzi has refused to commit to a date by which the new bus operator will take over the service.

“The process is under way and we hope to complete it as soon as possible,” he said when asked.

Two weeks ago, the Transport Ministry announced that Spanish company Autobuses Urbanos de Leon had been selected as the preferred bidder to operate Malta’s public transport services. The firm is a subsidiary of the ALSA Group, a leading Spanish transport company with a fleet of 2,300 buses which carry more than 183 million passengers per year.

Sources said its offer was €20 million cheaper than that of the Maltese bidders, who requested an annual subsidy of some €42 million.

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