Public transport operator Arriva Malta was seeking to quit as far back as September 2012, giving indications that it wanted to liquidate, Transport Minister Joe Mizzi told Parliament.

This meant it was not the government that had wanted to send Arriva away.

No matter what MP Toni Bezzina said, the numerous fires on Arriva’s articulated buses were not the result of arson but short circuits, he said.

While it still operated in Malta, Arriva itself had paid for the UBS vehicles that had been roped in to help after the bendy buses were withdrawn from service.

The decision to ban them from the roads had been manifestly wise, even though the Opposition had wanted them back.

His initial decision not to go public with the Transport Malta report on the fires had been taken in the interests of security, not because he wanted to hide anything. But once he had allowed Mr Bezzina to see the report in private, he had then felt it was time to allow access for all the media. Three media outlets had availed themselves of the opportunity.

The decision to ban them from the roads had been manifestly wise

Mr Mizzi said that while taking precautions, he had been careful not to alarm the people and had always said that if Arriva left, the government had a contingency plan. He had never beaten about the bush, as Mr Bezzina was saying.

In spite of the Opposition’s doom and gloom, the public transport system had not collapsed, not even when the schools reopened.

Mr Mizzi said the Labour opposition had never resorted to incitement, as the opposition was still doing on public transport.

While the Nationalist administration had driven public transport into a wall, the present government was giving value for money.

In a fleeting remark during his speech, Mr Mizzi said the Nationalists had lambasted him even when, from the Opposition benches, he had alleged corruption in oil procurement.