Negotiations with the preferred bidder vying to operate the bus service are already under way, but the transport ministry will only reveal its name next week.

This was confirmed by a ministry spokeswoman in reply to questions sent by Times of Malta.

However, no reason was given for this delay in naming the preferred bidder.

Confirmation that negotiations had started with the preferred bidder was given last week by Transport Minister Joe Mizzi, in reply to questions from the press.

His remarks followed a series of conflicting reports in which the minister was initially quoted saying that a decision on the new bus operator was imminent.

Some days later he told this newspaper that the preferred bidder had not yet been chosen.

In the wake of Mr Mizzi’s most recent remarks that negotiations had started, one of the three bidders issued a statement raising questions on the manner in which the process was being handled.

Island Malta Buses Ltd, a consortium formed by eight private and bus coach operators, expressed surprise that talks had started while it was still waiting to learn about the name of the preferred bidder.

Sources told this newspaper that no communication has yet been made with the Maltese consortium.

The other bidders in the running are Spanish company Autobuses Urbanos de Leon and Gozo First Travel, with the latter only interested to operate the service in Gozo.

As a result, speculation was rife that negotiations had started with the only foreign bidder.

No reason was given for the delay in naming the preferred bidder

This was also fuelled by the fact that last May the transport minister had flown to Spain to visit their headquarters.

Mr Mizzi had justified this decision by saying that he wanted to “verify” some aspects of the Spanish bid.

The company is a subsidiary of the ALSA Group, which boasts to be a leading Spanish transport company with a fleet of 2,300 buses, carrying more than 183 million passengers per year.

Sources said its offer was €20 million cheaper than the Maltese bidder’s, which requested an annual subsidy of some €42 million.