Church schools transport fees charged by Coop Services were not excessive, the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority said today after an investigation.

"In view of the facts and reasons set out above and on the basis of information
available to the Office, there are insufficient grounds for acting under Article 9 of
the Competition Act. The results prove that the school transport prices of Coop for children attending church schools did in fact increase through the years. However the Office concludes that there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that such prices are excessive, and therefore, Coop cannot be found to be abusing a dominant position in violation of the Competition Act," the Office said.

The decision can be viewed on the Authority’s website at http://bit.ly/2cBIYH2

The investigation was launched in April after complaints by parents of Church school students.

Times of Malta had reported at the time that one of the van companies raised its prices to such an extent that tax rebates meant to encourage parents to use the vans had become irrelevant.

The government introduced a tax credit of up to €150 in the 2014 Budget (depending on number of children). Parents whose children used Coop Services Ltd had complained that the increase in its prices had rendered the incentive useless.

The parents who complained claimed the price increases varied between €50 and €70 per child. They questioned what could justify this, given the decrease in fuel prices in recent months.

Reacting to the complaints, a spokesman for the company said that every service provider increases its tariffs from time to time in order to be able to meet its operational costs, and Coop Services Limited was no exception.