Transport Minister Joe Mizzi yesterday accused the Opposition of using people with disability as a political football, raising the issue of those who use scooters and need to use public transport.
Transport Malta would soon issue identification stickers to denote which mobility scooters could be allowed on board buses in view of their manoeuvrability.
This followed joint trials undertaken at the minister’s request by Transport Malta and the National Commission for People with Disabilities (KNPD), trying out motorised and mobility scooters.
Motorised wheelchairs similar to normal wheelchairs could manoeuvre satisfactorily. Three-wheeled mobility scooters could be accommodated on buses and had a history of satisfactory use.
Mr Mizzi said the Opposition had not mentioned that Arriva had a policy of not allowing scooters on board, making it a condition of carriage.
He denied that Autobuses de Leon had asked for a subsidy above the €29 million that would be given from next year, when the whole route structure would be in place.
He said the agreement with the public transport operator would be tabled “in due course”, well before the 11 months it had taken the previous government to table the one with Arriva.
Opposition deputy leader Mario de Marco rose on a point of order, saying the use of opinions, irony and such in a parliamentary question was not permitted. Speaker Anġlu Farrugia confirmed this.