Transport Minister Austin Gatt has appealed to the Public Transport Association (ATP) to provide an emergency bus service.

In a letter to ATP president Victor Spiteri, Dr Gatt said the government had tried to provide such a service itself, but been prevented from doing so through violence against the persons involved and damage to their vehicles. Such violence had become synonymous with the sector, Dr Gatt said.

Dr Gatt said he had read in the papers that Mr Spiteri condemned yesterday's violence. He was now asking him to take a further step forward by providing an emergency service.

Indeed, Dr Gatt said, given that the bus owners had a monopoly, it was immoral that they had not provided such a service in the first place.