The fleet of public buses still bearing the distinctive aquamarine colour of defunct operator Arriva is being sprayed white, nearly a year after the company’s departure from Malta.

However, the development is not an attempt to make it easier for the new operator to take over, a Transport Ministry spokeswoman said when asked. Last Friday this newspaper received information that the buses previously owned by Arriva had been spotted at a Ħal Far plant being sprayed white.

The premises belong to E&L Enterprises which specialises in sand blasting, galvanising and spraying of steel structures.

A Times of Malta journalist spotted at least two buses in the company’s yard.

However, a ministry spokeswoman later rejected the suggestion that the government had opted to start re-spraying buses just ahead of the signing of the agreement in an attempt to gain some time.

This would be in light of the fact that the signing of the agreement with Spanish company Autobuses de Leon, which was chosen to take over the bus service as from next month, has had to be postponed due to legal action taken by one of the unsuccessful bidders.

“Malta Public Transport is contractually required to spray the old buses to remove the colour used by Arriva,” the spokeswoman said yesterday. “Therefore work has started to paint the buses white, regardless of who takes over the new operation.”

The court is expected to decide on a warrant of inhibitory injunction filed by the failed bidder, Island Buses Malta, on December 17. Since Arriva departed the service has been run by government company Malta Public Transport.

The Spanish company is set to receive €23 million in subsidy in its first year of operation – more than double the amount received by Arriva in its final year. It is expected to increase further in the second year, when the Spanish company will roll out a fully-fledged service.