Transport Minister Joe Mizzi said this morning that he has a ‘plan B’ should Arriva opt to leave Malta.

Speaking on the One TV breakfast show, the minister said he had proved in previous situations that he was prepared – as was the case when the bendy buses needed to be withdrawn from the roads, and when a bus service still had to be provided for schools. In both cases, he said, operations had continued smoothly, and that was what he was determined to ensure whatever happened.

The core to an efficient bus service was the routes, he said. The new routes had been drawn up after widespread consultation and now the issue was implementation. The new routes had been presented to Arriva, he said. As he had previously said, the new routes would be introduced in the first quarter of next year.

"I will be sticking to the contract between the government and Arriva," he said.

Mr Mizzi also said that the Road Safety Council would discuss issues such as the incident last week when a horse which bolted and injured itself caused rush hour traffic mayhem in Marsa. The current situation was that the government vet, in terms of the law, could not go to the scene. As a result there was a long delay until another vet was found. The matter, he said, has been taken up with the Secretariat for Animal Welfare.

The issues to be discussed, he said, would also include insurance and the view that horses should not be on arterial roads in certain times. Consultation would be held with all involved.

Another issue was over the safety precautions for motorised bikes.

Watch vox pop above about people's views on Arriva.