Transport Minister Joe Mizzi yesterday denied a claim by the Opposition that after he had “banned Arriva bendy buses following a few fires”, there had been scores of incidents, a number of which required Civil Protection Department intervention.
Winding up the debate on his ministry’s financial estimates for 2015, Mr Mizzi said 2014 had been a challenging year, with having to manage the bus service while seeking a new operator.
Yet the number of passengers had increased by 10 per cent, complaints were halved and service interruptions caused by bus breakdowns reduced because of more frequent maintenance.
Shadow Minister Toni Bezzina had earlier said that forcing Arriva to leave had been against the public interest. The Opposition was worried about public transport workers’ futures.
There was clearly no sense of direction: long queues, lack of punctuality, a clear lack of maintenance and bus stops without shelters.
A number of foreign companies originally interested in taking over public transport had publicly said the government lacked transparency.
Mr Mizzi recently said the preferred bidder had not yet been selected, but a few days later he visited Autobuses de Leon in Spain. No wonder a local bidder accused the government in court of having moved the goalposts.
Mr Bezzina said the government was substantially raising costs for motorists through higher licence fees, more expensive insurance policies and fuel costs which were kept high despite a sharp drop in international prices.
It was estimated motorists would spend €830 more each year.
Replying, Mr Mizzi said intensive and delicate talks were being held with Autobuses de Leon which would operate the new bus service from January.
Every chance had been given to those who wished to operate the bus service, even the group which this year would make €10 million from the leasing of buses.
The government had no option but to let Arriva go as the Malta operation was bankrupt
The minister said the government had no option but to let Arriva go because the Malta operation was bankrupt.
It had lost €70 million and unless an agreement was reached with the government, the service would have been stopped, jobs would have been lost and the buses would have stood idle.
During Arriva’s time, there were 297 cases of smoke and fires on the buses but this year there were only 100 such cases and only seven of them were fires.
He said his talks with Autobuses de Leon in Spain were meant to verify what the bidder was claiming. This did not amount to a breach of the conditions in the call for expressions of interest.
Mr Mizzi listed a number of projects of national importance that had been taken up again, while projects next year would include the provision of parking from Marsaxmett to the Barrakka in Valletta, restoration and rehabilitation of the area around the Tritons Fountain and Castille Place and the improvement of pedestrian access to Valletta through the use of existing tunnels. Cathedral Square in Mdina would be repaved and Wignacourt Tower restored.
A particular focus would be on the building of the new Kappara junction, a project promised years ago, for which €3 million would be spent to improve surrounding roads. Care would be taken not to have a clash with the Coast Road works. Tenders would be issued next year for the building of a pedestrian bridge over Mrieħel bypass.