Taxpayers have forked out €26,766,663 in compensation for public transport this year, Transport Minister Joe Mizzi told parliament this evening. 

Answering a number of questions by Nationalist MP Tony Bezzina, Mr Mizzi said €97.2 million had been paid in subsidies between 2012 and last year. This was divided as follows:

2012: €8,224,500
2013: €10,214,000
2014: €29,027,312
2015: €22,999,992

Subsidies for public transport operators more than doubled in 2014 once Spanish company Autobuses de Leon took over running the service. At the time, Mr Mizzi had told Times Talk that the roughly €10 million annual subsidy previously given to Arriva was clearly not enough. 

Mr Mizzi revealed that Malta Public Transport, at the end of June, had 1,368 workers on its books, the majority of whom were Maltese. Of these, 1,076 were full-time and 292 were employed on a part-time basis.

Futhermore, the Transport Minister told MP Joe Farrigia (PL) that talks are being held on a regular basis for better traffic managament. Mr Farrugia suggested that the University, MCAST, Mater Dei Hospital and the courts coordinate between themselves on the time they start their services.