Transport Minister Austin Gatt admitted yesterday he was “disappointed” by the switch to the new public transport system and had registered his complaints with the UK-based CEO of the mother company of Arriva Malta.

“This was always going to be difficult but even I did not think it would be so difficult. Things were complicated by the fact that 10 per cent of the drivers did not show up. But I expected Arriva to be on top of certain things,” Dr Gatt said.

His comments on the weekly TVM talk show Dissett come 24 hours after he issued a statement saying it was “too early” to make political judgments on the matter so soon. He had also refused to answer questions by the press.

Dr Gatt said the system was working perfectly in Gozo and things were operating smoothly in Marsa and Ċirkewwa, but the biggest problems were in Floriana and Valletta.

While satisfied that the exhaust fumes synonymous with Maltese buses had been removed overnight, he said he was disappointed that the IT system did not work on the first day, arguing it should have been tested better.

Asked about the 60-odd Arriva drivers who did not report for work on the first days because of working conditions, Dr Gatt said: “I’ve almost begun suspecting that they did this purposely. Ten per cent is no joke.” Practically all these were experienced drivers from the old system, including most of the ones who had been trained on the bendy buses, leading to strain on the whole system.

Officials from the ministry and Transport Malta were monitoring the system continuously and flagged a number of problems.

“The responsibility to address these problems is Arriva’s,” he said, adding that the company assured the public it would fix things by next week.

Asked if he would impose a penalty on the company if the system does not improve, he replied: “Undoubtedly but it is not the penalty that will satisfy me. I will be satisfied when the system works.”

When it was suggested that there should have been better consultation or a phasing in of the new system as the old one was gradually phased out, Dr Gatt said many people ignored the consultation process and were therefore not in a position to complain.

“You can never win, my friend,” he said, when asked about the park-and-ride system that recently became a paid-for service.

He noted that the Arriva contract stipulated a revision of the routes every six months, so things would continue to be perfected.

“The problems we are having are in the actuation not in the planning,” he said, defending the ministry’s work in preparing the route networks.

Asked why the shelters promised at the new bus termini never materialised, he said the contractor had been late but would install them over the next two weeks. In the meantime, temporary plastic tents had been set up. Dr Gatt said things are still much better than they used to be.

He reiterated that this was his last legislature in politics and he would not seek re-election.