Transport Minister Joe Mizzi told Parliament yesterday the agreement with the new bus operator Autobuses de Leon would be published “soon”, but only after commuters had been informed about the new arrangements, so that the Opposition would not be able to mislead the people.

New buses had just arrived in Malta to help do away with the private vehicles in the public system, and more would arrive within the next fortnight. They would eventually add 142 to the fleet by May.

The service was doing well and eliciting fewer complaints

Marthese Portelli (PN) repeatedly asked Mr Mizzi to confirm that there were now seven-seater vehicles plying public transport routes, and at what cost.

The newly-hired buses, she said, could not take wheelchairs and had left people stranded, while people were still buying tickets on buses.

The minister alleged that a prominent member of the Unscheduled Bus Service, which had earned €10 million for the service it gave to public transport, took Net TV cameras to places where people were left waiting.

He added that the service was doing well and was giving rise to fewer complaints than in the past.

The new vehicles that were still arriving would indeed be able to take wheelchairs.

Mr Mizzi had originally told Ċensu Galea (PN) that the cost of repainting of buses was being borne by the public transport operator.