No disruption in the public transport service has been reported so far despite the shortfall of about 50 route buses and minivans, which Unscheduled Bus Service provided to Autobuses de Leon until last week, Times of Malta is informed.

However, the level of service has suffered as UBS buses were replaced by a hotchpotch of vehicles, including small seven-seat vans hired from various private garages.

This newspaper is informed that these small vehicles have been dispatched on southbound routes as it seems complaints from the area are normally fewer than those coming from northern routes, which include many tourists.

A number of public transport drivers told this newspaper they had witnessed no disruptions as the routes were being served through regular ex-Arriva buses and “a few more vans hired recently”.

“We are not surprised... We had long been saying there was no need for the 50 extra UBS buses. They were unnecessary and we never needed them, except for summer,” a 34-year-old driver said.

“It is quite clear that, since it is still business as usual without the UBS buses, they were not needed and the government was forking out some €210,000 a week just to appease the UBS until it reached the deal with the Spaniards. This is quite evident now,” another driver claimed.

When contacted, Malta Public Transport said the number of buses in service was identical to last week’s.

It said the routes, which until last week were being operated by 11 sub-contracted buses and coaches, were now being served by low-floor buses owned by the company and driven by its own personnel.

It conceded that 19 minibuses were allocated to routes that had been previously operated by those under the previous subcontracting agreement, including nine smaller minibuses being used on those routes where demand was low.

“This is only being done throughout the month of February until the leased fleet of 32 buses is in service,” it said. It apologised for any inconvenience and said it was monitoring the situation closely to ensure there were no major disruptions.

It also confirmed the next batch of five low-floor, 12-metre-long buses would be in service today.

Last October, Times of Malta reported that drivers employed with State-run Malta Public Transport were complaining of mismanagement and waste of public funds. They claimed that the regular route buses were being left idle so UBS buses could be used instead.

The government dismissed the claims and argued it still needed the UBS buses, which earned the cooperative members about €15 million throughout the duration of the contract. The UBS first entered the scene in summer 2013, when the government ordered a ban on the use of bendy buses.

When contacted, a UBS spokesman would not go into detail as to why no agreement had been reached with the Spanish company to continue providing the service, although he did say that “price was not the issue”. He reiterated that UBS was still interested in working with the new operator.

When it was pointed out that the service had not been disrupted without the UBS buses, the spokesman said he was not happy with the situation. “This is making people think we were not needed in the first place.”

However, individual UBS members, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the impression they were not needed was far from the truth.

The government was forking out some €210,000 a week just to appease the UBS

“They [the Spanish company] have now hired small vans and brought the old yellow buses back into service as they realised they couldn’t cope without us,” the owner of a large garage said.

“Obviously, this is all against the agreement signed because the level of service is not acceptable by any stretch of the imagination,” another member said.

“Why do you think [Transport Minister] Joe Mizzi does not want to publish the agreement,” he added.

Despite his declaration on January 8 that he would publish the agreement as soon as Parliament reconvened following the Christmas recess, this has still to happen.

Mr Mizzi said he would only publish the contract after the government explained to the public what it had agreed to.

He said he had decided to hold back from publishing the agreement due to misinformation by the Opposition.

In a reply in Parliament earlier this week, Mr Mizzi told shadow transport minister Marthese Portelli there were nine routes that were being served by minivans instead of buses. These include such busy routes as 136 from Valletta to Birkirkara, which passes through Mater Dei Hospital, and 123 from Valletta to Mater Dei.

According to the information released so far by the government, Autobuses de Leon will receive €23 million this year and €29 million next year in subsidies for its services.

Arriva was entitled to a maximum of €10 million each year.